Based in Saltburn, North Yorkshire, Artist Jessica Christie works with Jesmonite to capture the rugged natural beauty of the North East of England. Christie casts pots with the material and, more expressively, paints layers of Jesmonite to “create landscapes” and represent “captured memories”.
Going into the interview with Jessica, I was interested to discuss how Jesmonite lends itself to portraying the rugged landscape of the North East of England, and why the use of Jesmonite creates different textures, designs and creations. Christie, who uses the material to cast pots and landscapes, cites local beauty and rugged landscapes as particular inspirations.
The material of Jesmonite, as Christie discussed, is “a composite material made from gypsum powder and liquid acrylic resin” which was developed in the early 1980s by concrete technologist Peter Hawkins. Christie opts to use the company’s most famous AC100 for her artwork, which “has the tactile smooth finish of plaster and the weight of concrete”.
When asked how Christie found the material and started working with it, it was stated how:
“In my fine arts degree I used to work with concrete and plaster, and I heard about it, but never worked with it. I saw it and went on a workshop, I thought “I kind of fancy having a go with it” I thought, “Oh god, this is a nightmare!” I absolutely fell in love with it…and it just happened from there really…I started experimenting with it from home using different pigments and getting to know the limitations and possibilities of the material.”
Christie cited the materials’ tactility and versatility as the reasons for its use, allowing her to capture the rugged beauty of the natural landscape. Being from Middlesbrough myself, its rugged landscape is quite the juxtaposition. Christie addressed this, stating that:
“I work part time at Middlesbrough libraries, a town which has many deprived wards. The North East gets lots of negative press, but has a wild rugged beauty with a rich industrial past. We are in North Yorkshire, The North sea and coast on one side and areas of outstanding beauty on the other.”
“You’ve got that beautiful expanse of somewhere that’s breathtaking with loads of vapes on the floor, it’s a real contrast isn’t it? It’s important that my work is about the North, about North Yorkshire and the outdoors. It’s dead grounding and I think it’s great outside for your mental health, your problems seem smaller.”
In capturing the rugged beauty of the North Eastern Landscape with a composite material, Christie’s methods are unconventional, yet perfectly encapsulate the area’s beauty. Christie discussed how:
“I like working with materials where it’s not intended to, so I thought I could start painting with this and it’d be different. I didn’t really know anyone who was doing that
Christie runs workshops for the public and has delivered them for North Yorks Art School and The Baltic, allowing individuals to cast and paint their own products from the material and showcasing its ease of use. The material, as Christie discusses, is “not specifically hard” to work with, meaning “it’s very transferable into a workshop”. These workshops mean that “people can go home with a solid object” and can be run with children, or people of any ability.
Finally, Christie’s use of the material can also be attributed to its non-toxicity, meaning it can be worked with at home, along with its environmental benefits. The company itself has a strong ethos related to the environment, with Christie stating that:
“What I love about it is there’s no waste in the product whatsoever, if I make something, or anything leftover, or a pot or a landscape that I think is hideous, I put it all in a bag and smash it all up, and I can reuse all of that product
“There’s no waste whatsoever, which is really important, you’re not just filling up landfill. The company itself, everything they send, all the packaging can be recycled, it’s water based as well, so when I work with it in a studio it’s non-toxic.”
The company is dedicated to developing eco-friendly art practices, with ingredients sourced from local supply chains to keep CO2 emissions to a minimum.
Until December 2024, I was unaware of Jesmonite, its unconventionality, environmental benefits and how it can be used by artists. Since then, a candle holder made from the material made at one of Jessica’s workshops, cast in its vibrant colours, has resided upon a coffee table at home. Christie’s art perfectly encapsulates the rugged and oxymoronic beauty of the North-East of England, with the unconventional use of Jesmonite speaking, in a way, about art, creativity and culture in the region. For a region often deprived of creative spirit, yet teeming with natural beauty, Christie’s work is an important and innovative cornerstone in the region’s blossoming art scene.
Special thanks to Jessica Christie for her time and contributions to this piece, more of her work can be viewed online, or on Instagram at ‘Jesmonitenorth’.