The Conflict series of works are Dickins' response to the atrocities of ethnic cleansing carried out in Kosovo and Bosnia. The brutal murder of families, men, women and children; the futility of war; the detailed and vivid images on daily television news footage. The narrative in broadsheet reporting and access to deatiled reports on the Internet all combined to provide the catalyst.
The ‘Blackdowns’ series of works is Dickins’ interpretation of abstract relationships, reflecting the beauty and tranquility of his spiritual home. These pieces are influenced by the diversity of natural forms, woodland and fungi found in the Blackdown Hills A.O.N.B. These works were created post divorce, nurtured in a shared working environment of encouragement and safety. The freedom, openness and peace of mind found walking and exploring in the Blackdown Hills.
The ‘Rust’ series of works were developed having been given the opportunity to create site specific work for Somerset Art Weeks 2010. Dickins explored the dark interiors of the Tithe Barn and surrounding farm buildings at Cotley, nr Chard. Rusting metal recovered from the farmyard has been re-worked, layered with re-cycled felt, found paper and hand stitching. Subtle colour has been introduced to reflect both the natural environment and the ‘royal maroon’ paint associated with these important buildings.
The ‘Weapon of War’ series of works are Dickins response to having read an Amnesty International leaflet ‘ STOP THE RAPE IN DAFUR – PROTECT THE HUMAN’ - ‘In Darfur rape is being used as a weapon of war’. Further images in ‘Open Wound – Chechnya 1994-2003’ by Stanley Greene moved Dickins to develop these stark visual references to the abuse of women. Discarded paper, textile and wound dressings are stitched together as to signify the ‘mending’ of the bodies and minds of women violated during war.
The ‘Calver Red’ series of works evolved from a chance ‘find’ at Frome Artisan’s Market on Catherine’s Hill. Having stopped at a stall to taste a local cheese, Dickins noticed that the stallholder was throwing the ‘cheese cloth’ away in a bin. But these weren’t just any cheese cloths, to Dickins they were beautifully marked, full of character and individuality. Cheese cloth with velvet and leather, adding depth with found objects are combined to create geometric discourse.
For SAW 2013 the 'Cunning Cavaliers’ series have been imagined and made....... this combining beautifully patterned antique silk brocade, worn, faded and fragile over time which has been visibly repaired with hand stitching. This has been incorporated with a sequence of images depicting a group of dashing and unscrupulous men plotting their cunning plan. Contrasting textiles, elements of colour, composition and form have been re-worked and embellished throughout the series to provide the viewer with a layering of texture and detail.