Statement

Nicola Tucker is an Honours graduate in Art and Aesthetics who has taught literacy and Communication studies for over ten years. She has Curated many exhibitions which have examined themes of war and is now embarking on a Masters Degree to continue her research into addressing genocide issues through contemporary art.
www.nicolatucker.com




Drawn to art of this nature for many reasons, one of her previous exhibitions, 'The Gift', showed a collection of drawings and paintings recounting the journey of people she met and travelled with in Ethiopia during the 1992/3 war. During these self funded trips Nicola established, maintained and registered a clinic designed to aid people who had become maimed by landmines.

Travelling with The Foreign Legion into remote areas, Nicola worked at locating and helping those who had been shot or become disfigured due to conflict. Her work with critically injured people in remote areas has been recognized by the Foreign Legion, leading to the award of The Medal for Bravery. These experiences have driven the spirit of her art work since.

Special permission was given to document and photograph Auschwitz. This collection of images taken in September 2007 has been carefully selected. They depict the journey of a survivor Nicola met and travelled with to Auschwitz. Many intimate details were divulged and shared. The photographs describe the survivor's memories from her home in Krakow to arriving within the camp. They are the memories of keeping your eyes bowed and existing.

Nicola has concerns about how imagery is used when connected to the sensitive issue of genocide. ‘As soon as a title such as Auschwitz is attached,' she said, ' then it affects the way in which the images are viewed - and it then becomes more morally complicated. I fight with my conscience; I question myself as to how I present the images. Are they effective forms of communication? Can viewers become informed or sympathetic? Or will they be viewed with voyeuristic curiosity? Do some want to look out of a morbid need to sample watered down, condensed ideas of hate terror and genocide?’

Nicola Tucker is respected within many communities both locally and globally. Her proven organisation skills for events and fundraising are widely sought. She has presented the museum of Auschwitz with an archive study of the Jewish prayer robe the Tallit, which is now within the museums collection.
Nicola has just finished assisting in the planning and curating of Holocaust memorial exhibition for the Vale of Glamorgan council 2008.
The artist Shimon Attie recently complimented Nicola on her recent war archive studies.