Work

Ongoing

Plowman and Cummins

Pictured performing at ‘The Menu’, London Art Services, London (2025). Photos by Luca Venerus, Katie McGoran, Manhas Abhinandan.

‘Plowman and Cummins’ are experimental clown duo Sally Plowman and Cailin Cummins. Having met whilst studying BA Fine Art at the Slade School of Fine Art (2020/22), they focus on collaborative working methods to think about looping, infinite failure, and the meaning of possession and use. Using surreal visual elements, physical theatre and splintered narrative, they integrate comedy and performance art, approaching clowning as a radical position where skilled chaos can threaten the status quo. They have performed around the UK and internationally and are interested in the use of props and costumes to undermine social roles. They use ridiculous to emphasise ridiculous, giving you the feeling of watching someone run for the bus as it drives away. 

Follow us here and here for news on upcoming performances.

Pictured performing at ‘All Inclusive Launch’, Off-Cut, London (2024). Photos by Ksenia Burnasheva.

2025

Angry Drawings (series)

Angry 3
30cm x 18cm
Paper, pencil, acrylic, felt tip, wood, nails, PVA, gloss

no good photos right now, but it’s what i’ve been making this year outside of Plowman and Cummins. mostly biro drawings on different bits of paper, glued to wood, covered in gloss. dimensions variable.

2024

We Are Hungry

Sally Plowman and Nicola Streeten are a mother-daughter collaboration, publishing illustrated books including ‘We Are Hungry: Vegan meals for eight hungry artists’ (Plowman Press, 2024), an illustrated cookbook. Based on meals cooked at The Grange Artist Residencies over the summer of 2024, this full-colour 82-page book is a collection of seven vegan meals to feed eight people. Available to purchase online here.

Barber Pole

Barber Pole
24cm x 34cm x 91cm
Barber pole, tin, duct tape, electrical tape, tracing paper, pen

2023

Score

Score (2023) for Search Engine Quartet, performed at Horse Hospital, London 2024

Pen, paper and tape on A4 paper

Bike Ride

Duration variable

2022

Hot Wood (2022-24)

Pictured performing at Horse Hospital, London (2022). Photos by Luna Wang; Nunhead Mini Fringe, The Old Nun’s Head, London (2023).

Sally Plowman, Jessie Evans and Cailin Cummins made up clown troupe ‘Hot Wood’. They performed around the UK from 2022-24, using surreal visual narrative and clowning.

Pedals / Rain Machine

Pedals
Pallet wood, tin lids, rubber bands, screws

Rain Machine
Pallet wood, dowel, tins, screws, dried chickpeas

Pictured at ‘Seven Years’ (2022), Taverner Estate Arts, London.

2021

Wolf and Clown

Collaborative performance at X-Church, Gainsborough with Joana Cifre Cerdà

Guard Dogs

Looped animation, my phone, duct tape, bolts, washers, nuts
Duration variable. Only bad photo available.

garage band

Tricycle, tins, wood, metal rods, nuts, elastic band, aluminium tape, bike horn
160cm x 70cm x 150cm

Pictured: Install shots of ‘Marx on the Table’ (2021). Daisy Murphy Youth Dance, Folkestone. Courtesy of the artists. Photography by Manuel Vason.

WE OPEN OUR MOUTH TO SPEAK AND

Series of five sculptures, dimensions variable. Structures collapse to make a sound when pedal is pressed.
Wood, tins, bungee cord, metal rods, nuts, bolts, string. 

Pictured: Install shots of ‘Marx on the Table’ (2021). Daisy Murphy Youth Dance, Folkestone. Courtesy of the artists. Photography by Manuel Vason.

2020

Someone cut my brakes

Functional drum kit
99cm x 76cm x 120cm

Stage (I open my mouth to speak and choke on my own spit)

Pallet stage with animation and script
179cm x 108cm x 68cm

The Dog End – Adam Masina (extended)

A 20-minute performance featuring Stucky (Sally Plowman), Hard Shoulder (Nicola Streeten) and Hat Stand/John (John Plowman).

2019

Shaky Dome – And then what?

With Jérémie Sigalla, Leonie Rousham, Bea Macdonald and Sally Plowman.

Duration variable.

the world upside down (parts 1-3)

the world upside down (part 1)
2019

Looped animation and sound, 2 minutes 5 seconds

the world upside down (part 2)
2019

Handbound 34-page Risograph printed hardback book. Plain navy cloth cover.
Limited edition
9.6cm x 10.3cm x 1.5cm

the world upside down (part 3)
2020

Buckled bike wheel with smashed iPhone playing the world upside down (part 1) with no sound
64cm x 64cm x 18cm

STUCKY Recycles

A 15-minute clown show performed and developed with Nicola Streeten and John Plowman. 

Three clowns are tasked with the job of tidying up, but constantly get distracted by pots and pans, a ball of wool, a mysterious drip, and a lost phone ringing. The clowns are provoked into dancing, playing music and making more mess until the phone is found and answered! Suddenly in a rush, the ‘Recycle’ box gets turned around to reveal ‘General Waste’ and everything is piled in. The clowns lift the box to leave, not noticing that the bottom has fallen out and the mess is even worse than before. They walk out through the audience carrying an empty box, oblivious. 

Photo courtesy of Agata Urbaniak.

2018

A Year of Nostalgia

A Year of Nostalgia was a year-long exhibition and events program taking place in two villages in rural Lincolnshire, running from Summer 2018 to Spring 2019.

The four artists involved created work for the Broadcaster noticeboards in Wellingore and Waddington, changing seasonally. Each artist also hosted a public Night at the Chapel event during their season, at the converted chapel in Wellingore, where one of the noticeboards was located. Each evening revolved around a meal, with various films, performance, live music, readings and walks chosen and presented by the artist. 

The four artists involved were Nia Fekri (Summer 2018), Anna Metzger (Autumn 2018), Lulua Alyahya (Winter 2018) and Sally Plowman (Spring 2019). The project was curated by Sally Plowman.

The Broadcaster – Wellingore
Sally Plowman, 2019

Stuffed velour roses
Dimensions variable

The Broadcaster – Waddington
Sally Plowman, 2019

Pencil drawing
25cm x 17cm