The art world can often be perceived as “inaccessible,” “high-brow,” “elitist,” and—some would even argue—downright “pretentious.” But why? We can look across Western society and the artists who have become household names, ranging from Picasso and Dali to Warhol, and, as it turns out, almost all of them are men. This leaves women in an environment that limits their space to fully express themselves. Essex-born and raised artist Rebecca Moss aims to disrupt the discourse surrounding the art world as being sterile and unwelcoming by showcasing humor and silliness, and highlighting the fact that everyone could use a good laugh these days.
I have never wanted to do or be anything else than an artist, as it seemed like the path with the most possibilities.
Though art can be exclusive, for Rebecca, it was an integral part of her childhood, surrounding her and enriching her life. “I was lucky enough to grow up in an environment where my mum was very passionate about art and would do lots of creative activities with me and my two brothers when we were children,” she says. Art was truly embedded in her upbringing, which led her to find her calling: “I have never wanted to do or be anything else than an artist, as it seemed like the path with the most possibilities.”
Rebecca’s Essex identity has a strong presence in her work. Essex is a county located in the southeast of England, neighboring Greater London, which is often stereotyped in British culture and media. As an American living in London, learning about Essex was one of my first real encounters with British culture. The reality show “The Only Way is Essex” and the term “Essex Girl” are examples of how the county is often portrayed in the media—typically as “low-brow” or lacking sophistication.
These stereotypes have led to Essex being associated with the idea of “low-brow entertainment” in wider British society. However, Rebecca has learned to embrace and subvert these associations through her art. “Some qualities that I would say are common across my pieces are […] movement, precariousness, low-brow props and costumes, my body, elemental and direct qualities such as primary colours and light and dark, slapstick comedy, and the natural world,” says Rebecca.
Rebecca’s videos have a subversive quality…
This embrace of identity is evident in Rebecca’s creative output. Before my interview with Rebecca, I went on a deep dive into her website and found myself watching some of her performance art videos. Titles such as “Frog, Shark, and Comfort Food” adorn these performances, and upon watching, questions arise. These videos have a subversive quality, and I wondered how Rebecca uses her own lived experiences to craft them.
“I began to make the video performances in 2013, and they particularly grew when I was doing my MA in Sculpture at the Royal College of Art,” says Rebecca. In her videos, Rebecca displays her Essex identity by utilizing locations throughout the Essex area as the environment in which her character thrives. “The character of this environment began to feed into the work through my use of fancy dress props and everyday household objects,” says Rebecca. “When you don’t have much money, it forces you to be inventive, and this is how the subversive qualities feed in.”
Rebecca transitioned from video art to broader creative exploration; being tied down to one specific medium does not fit with her artistry. This is evident in her most recent work, “Dream Machines,” a performance lecture that showcases Rebecca’s interest in unconventional methods of creating art and teaching. The story behind “Dream Machines” goes back to 2023, the year Rebecca won the Dover Prize.
The Dover Prize is a biennial award that provides a £10,000 bursary to UK-based artists, enabling them to research and develop new ideas in a safe and supportive environment. A key element of the Dover Prize is that the winner must create a piece of work that responds to the environment of Northeast England. Her inspiration for “Dream Machines” came from The Bowes Museum in Durham—particularly, a piece of infrastructure exhibited in the museum. “There is a silver swan automata from the 1700s, which runs entirely by clockwork, and I found it mesmerising,” she says.
The Bowes Museum’s Silver Swan in Durham!
Building on this inspiration, Rebecca’s innovative approach made a connection between the mechanical nature of The Bowes Museum’s swan in Durham and swan pedalos (pedal boats) in London. This enabled participants to engage with Rebecca’s research in an innovative way that challenges conventional methods of learning. Her performance lecture took place in East London at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park along the River Lea in 2024, and focused on topics such as industrialization and the Dada art movement. “I planted visual material around the river and encouraged my audience to train binoculars on the images while I spoke through a megaphone,” Rebecca says. The setting for “Dream Machines” at Stratford Olympic Park is notable due to the industrialization of the area, which was a key focus during London’s 2012 Summer Olympics.
I draw a lot of my confidence and inspiration from non-conformist, brave and outspoken women.
Although we are living in the year 2025, it often feels as if we are going back in history, not forward. In dire times, art and culture have become a medicine for many to cope with the news of the world. Rebecca hopes her work will have a long-standing, and hopeful impact on her audience: “I hope that people experience a shared sense of absurdity and identify with a feeling of futility and struggle, but optimism.”
As every day goes by (for better or worse), the need for artists to be bold and brave is stronger than ever. Artists can inspire the masses to advocate for and organise for a revolution, and for Rebecca, she feels her work inherently calls upon feminism, “I draw a lot of my confidence and inspiration from non-conformist, brave and outspoken women. I hope to add to this conversation.”
© Jessica Bond (10/20/25) Special for FF2 Media®
LEARN MORE/DO MORE
Check out Rebecca’s website.
Find out more about Dream Machines from a first-hand participant.
Rebecca will be screening Dream Machines in Darlington in 2026, and we cannot wait!
Watch The Bowes Museum’s silver swan in action thanks to the BBC!
CREDITS & PERMISSIONS
Featured Photo/Exit Photo: Portrait of Rebecca Moss taken during her residency at Porthmeor Studios, St Ives.
Middle Photo/Bottom Photo: Both photos credited to Hydar Dewachi.
Rights to all images in this post belong exclusively to Rebecca Moss. Use of images by FF2 Media is courtesy of Rebecca Moss.
