I enjoyed a two year residency at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford culminating in a one woman show in, the then brand new, Airspace hangar (built to house the British Aviation Collection).

Turner Prize winner Richard Deacon acted as mentor for the project.

Sacre Coeur by Victoria Burton-Davey
Sacre Coeur, linen, birch ply, aircraft stringer H100cm x L190cm x W60cm
Blackbird by Victoria Burton-Davey
Blackbird, plastic film, birch ply, aircraft wing stand H80cm x L150cm x W110cm
Reach, birch ply, aircraft paint, linen H160cm x L190cm x W110
Dove III by Victoria Burton-Davey
Dove III, aircraft linen, birch ply H90cm x L160cm x W110cm
Cepheid by Victoria Burton-Davey
Cepheid, aircraft linen, birch ply, aircraft stringer H3m x L4m x W3m

There was lots of room to develop a body of larger work in the Conservation Hangar where I worked along side the Conservation Team. They shared their skills with me: bending and shaping aluminium, riveting, and stitching Irish linen over birch ply frames on bi-planes. I even got a chance to help with the stitching on the Oxford WWII aircraft which is hanging in the British Aviation Collection.

Reach by Victoria Burton-Davey
Reach, birch ply, aircraft paint, linen H160cm x L190cm x W110
Open to Light by Victoria Burton-Davey
Open to Light (detail), birch ply and aircraft paint, H130cm x L170cm x W100cm

Drawing is always integral to my creative process…