Helen Owen (born 1943) is an artist whose work represents an abiding fascination with stress, as both an element of the artistic process, and as an intrinsic part of our lives. The tensions in her work are established by the use of colour, pattern and optical illusion, to create a compelling sense of force and movement.

Helen studied Horticulture, Art and Design and Creative Computing at Stourbridge College, and has a first class BA (Hons) degree in Art and Design from the University of Central England. She uses a variety of techniques and materials such as fabric, found objects, paint, photography and computer generated imagery.

 

Helen's exploration of stress and tension began with the loss of her husband and a determination to cope against the odds. She says, "It was the constant battle against stress, time and the domestic environment that fuelled my work. I ploughed through many different materials and methods of working till I discovered the wrapping and stretching of striped fabric. I was particularly inspired by the optical effects and the ability to completely change a subject. I wrapped domestic objects and interiors so they could no longer serve their purpose as they became redundant beneath a dazzling deterrent of op art pattern. Thus the domestic environment was transformed."

To create the textile panels Helen uses appropriately patterned fabric which is stretched and manipulated over wooden boarding. This distorts the pattern creating a deliberate op art appearance. The wood is sometimes worked before hand with holes or cuts for certain affects, or structural shapes are added to create bas - relief. Some pieces have many layers of fabric which are individually slit to reveal the underlying layers.