Ellie Stone

Hello my name is Ellie Stone and I love the concept of the dinner and all that is involved with it, the sharing of food, the exploration of senses and the sparking of conversations. I aspire for my work to be joyful and engaging, bringing people together to experience the lovely occasion that is dining. Instagram: @ellie.st0ne

My practice focuses predominately on the ideas and concepts behind my installations and objects rather than the functionality of them working. I aspire for them to be thought and discussion provoking, fun and explorative with a slight element of humour running through their impracticality.

Since learning sign language and becoming a guide runner I have become increasingly interested in the cross over, isolation and alteration of our senses and how this can inform and alter our experience, in particular with hearing.

I aimed for people to explore the realm of listening within a dinner, either sparking conversations into communication and interaction or for individuals to take themselves away from the predominantly social experience and plug the ear buds in from the cushions and picnic blanket or dinner set and experiment with communication in alternative ways. For example, gestures, sounds, facial expressions, touch and body language, and with this, how the different senses inform and alter this communication.

Since the lockdown these gatherings are no longer possible therefore, I have been designing tools to allow for social distancing dining, allowing people to cook, share and eat together but from afar. I have created a dinner set that in turn enhances this communication (similar to that of “The allegory of the long spoon”) where the diners need to communicate with each other, help one another and work together so that everyone at the table receives all elements of the dinner; in turn, the dinner couldn’t take place without this interaction.

Is there a specific meal or dining experience that started your love affair for all being round a table together?

I grew up in the middle of the countryside in Devon where food, harvesting and community were a massive part of daily life. Dinners consisted of what was in season and freshly made sour dough bread and most of what ate off/with was what my mother had made. These occasions were so wonderful and consisted of so much happiness and joy. The beauty of sharing and the tactility of the hand made. They helped to shape my views on the dinner through simple but delicious foods accompanied by conversation and laughter.

If you could serve any meal with your art piece what would it be?

I like to keep my meals simple within my art, focusing predominantly on the interaction between the people dining. I would have different types of breads and crackers with butter where people could come and go at different times meeting and interacting with different people. This allows for the dinners to be going on throughout an exhibition, taking the pressure away from the diners to eat a whole meal, or for the food to stay warm.

If you could pair any piece of music or genre with the dinner what would it be?

My practice looks at the interaction between people. How we communicate with one another through gestures, facial expressions, sounds and body language. I would want my dinners to be silent apart from peoples conversations, noises and movements so that focus if predominantly on there interaction whilst dining.

Can you list a couple other creatives/friends/people you look to for inspiration?

There are a few people that inspire me in different ways @bread_on_earth lovingly explores the crossover of bread and art through social engagement, beautiful sculptures and recipes. I love the work of Allan Wexler, called Coffee Seeks Its Own Level. There's a book written by Leonora Carrington which is incredible called "The Hearing Trumpet" which I'd recommend to anyone and everyone. Its merry go round of ideas and inventions are so beautifully amazing. The drawings of W.Heath Robinson's dinners so creative and help me to spark so many ideas of my own. As well as this I live with three incredible artists (@pheobelaw, @micaela.pb and @thatwhichcrawls) who inspire me and inform my practice on a daily basis.