off track kinetic installation as installed in MAFA end of Unit 1 show, UN1T. 12-20/12/2019
explosive snaps sit on a shelf high on the gallery wall. rotating arms push the snaps back and forth until they fall and explode on the ground below. it is unpredictable and random. the resulting bang sound resonates through the gallery and beyond. I have written further about this work in the ‘commonality‘ zine.
Off Track as seen from floor level
view of Off Track from above, not visible to visitors
on the floor, the gravel and paper of the discharged snaps and the resulting scorch marks underneath
gallery view of Off Track in motion
birdseye view of Off Track in motion with the pathways carved by the rotating arms
slow motion footage of the snaps exploding on the floor
A playful exploration of physics, highlighting wonder by revealing hidden forces and adding an element of surprise.
off balance .01 extruded aluminium strip, stainless steel ball bearing, mirror ball motor, bicycle spoke, cable tie, stretcher bar and amazon air bag packaging.
balanced precariously on a bag of air, discarded packaging from another Amazon delivery. the irony of Amazon naming themselves after the most famous of rainforests, but how apt as it is also an area wrecked and destroyed by capitalism and commerce, the power grab needs and desires of the West. this Amazonian rain cloud, this airbag, is subject to air pressure. the particles inside becoming more excited when warm. the subtle expanding and collapsing cause the work to become even more precarious.
an extruded aluminium strip creates a gulley with its right angle. the ends are sealed with acetate and a ball bearing can roll freely within. powered by a mirror ball motor and with a bicycle spoke, wedged in with a black plastic cable tie and a small piece of wire, to create an arm. when the arm rotates it reaches the strip so that it rises, suspended on the air bag packaging that sits on a shelf slightly off centre. this fulcrum allows the strip to make a sea-saw action. as the arm rises, the strip rises and the ball bearing rolls to the other end of the strip. when it hits the end, it jumps in the air. by which time the arm has started to make its’ decent. the ball rolls back to where it started at the other end and does a another little hop before returning. and so it continues, back and forth. there is a futility to its action.
the artwork makes its presence known throughout the gallery, with the rolling sound, and with its grating, scraping arm. depending on your perception, the ball makes an irritating and torturous metallic sound; or a soothing hollow one. as it rolls the sound is amplified naturally by the space within the strip. some find watching the movement meditative whilst others might be unnerved as the strip balances precariously, wobbling and threatening to fall. the ball leaps. flying in the air, it adds an additional element of risk, that it might jump right out in front of you. but it is also joyous and playful, and there is an element of humour. when the ball makes it back into the gulley each time and continues on its journey, we might laugh at ourselves in relief, amused that we expressed any concern.
off balance .02 black cord, plumb bob, neodymium magnets, acrylic tubing, stainless steel rod, battery powered mirror ball motor, cable tie
suspended elements hang precariously on a cord from the ceiling. a combination of magnets and metal elements, together with acrylic tubing. at the base is a battery operated small mirrorball motor which has a cable tie attached to its centre. this arm rotates but, as it is made from flexible plastic, it only knocks the tube and doesn’t push it with any real force. apathetic in its nature, it is also easily pushed to the side or bent out of the way as it rotates and nudges the hanging tubing. the suspended line of elements above wobble and sway in response. at eye level is the tip of a plumb bob. this fine sharp pointed tip is attached only by magnetic attraction but it is responsible for holding all the suspended items below. one can be surprised by the fragility of this construction and fearful that it may fall.
at the base the magnet also reacts to the magnetic coil of the motor, creating chaotic movement not directly related to the turning arms. as the arms rotate the tubing can randomly swerve out of its way.
the arm, also mimics the rotating hands on a clock, a constant reminder of the passing of time.
off balance .03 1m long cable ties, steel bar, saloon door swing hinges, wooden batons
fifty 1 metre long cable ties hang, arching downwards as they cascade from a steel bar. the bar is attached to a wooden baton which is in turn attached to the wall with saloon door swing hinges. the cable ties are black and imposing, like whips or eyelashes. hanging, drooping, partially blocking the doorway. the work encourages the visitor to physically engage. one has to brush past to get by. the specially designed hinges allow the artwork to move in the direction of the passerby. as you push through the plastic, the baton springs forcibly back and the bristles audibly jostle and bustle back into place.
off balance .04 rattle magnets, black shelf with interior metal bracket
a shiny black shelf is positioned on the wall so that you can see directly onto it. on its surface rests a pile of bullet shaped rattle or power buzz magnets. written on the wall is the invitation, “play with me”.
these children’s toys encourage the visitor to pick them up and to play. the magnets have a strong pull and as soon as you handle them you can feel their force. they are tactile with their smooth surface and elongated shape. visually, to me, they mimic phases of alignment in liquid crystals, such as the diagram of the nematic phase on the right. many will remember that if you take 2 of the magnets and throw them in the air with a finger width between them, that they will scream, rattle or buzz, hence the many names by which they go by.
the shelf has an internal metal bracket and so the magnets will also spin and rotate when sitting on the shelf.
In preparation for our offsite project, we decided as a group to collectively go to the riverside. For my part I was interested in performing an artists walk, and so I left from Chelsea College with a magnet on a string. Passing alongside Tate Britain, I collected debris from the pavement, in the gutter, and on the shore of the Thames.
taking a magnet for a walk
My “fishing’ experiments were less fruitful, I didn’t gain anything physical from the river, in fact I lost items, including a rather nice safety pin. The walk garnered interest from the public and provoked curiosity from strangers; and at the end I was happy to display my collection.
passing the ice
Reflecting on our excursion, we decided to collaborate on a performance the following day. Having attracted some attention from visitors to Tate Britain the day before, we thought this would be a good location, and filmed our performance in the grounds outside.
The performance involved the 5 members of our group, passing an ice cube to each other in a circle until it melted. We wanted to produce something immediate and fun, that wasn’t too bound up with reference or meaning. Labouring over a combined goal in this way brought the group together and I think it is symbolic of us starting a journey of working collaboratively.
Challenging the notions of the biennale and art fair forms, we presented our International Festival, Bureau de Change and took the themes of Borderless and Play as our inspiration.
Our group decided to curate a cosy, homely room filled with familiar objects and games from our respective cultures.
hook-a-duck
With a firm nod to the traditional ‘Hook-a-Duck’ typically found at village fetes across the UK, I installed an inflatable children’s paddling pool in the centre of the room. Inside were ocean balls to mimic water and origami boats made from old encyclopedic map pages. A small child’s chair was positioned nearby and from there you could ‘fish’, like a garden gnome, using rods with magnets attached. By hooking a boat you could choose another country to freely travel to… in your mind at least.
between potential and kinetic
Also for Bureau de Change, I installed a light piece in the morgue space. A single torch suspended on a string, its beam just millimetres from the ground.
Set in motion, the torch illuminates the luminous paint on the floor. The path of the torch, a swinging pendulum, is revealed as the paint begins to glow. The image comes slowly in and out of view, intensifying as the torch changes its’ path to produce a glowing ellipse. As the pendulum slows, it’s centre appears darker and darker, revealing an apparent void.
Positioned in an old morgue, the bar and string give an uncomfortable air of a makeshift hanging or a potential suicide. Like instability, the bar holding the string is balanced, just wedged between the walls, slightly precariously. A sharp tug on the string would bring it crashing down.
Through motion and phosphorescence, this work references time and the speed of light. The swinging pendulum highlights wonder as it amplifies pattern and rhythm to reveal hidden geometric pathways, this extends my work in mapping residues and utilising reactive materials and introduces a reference to childhood with spirograph type patterns being revealed.
The work is unpredictable despite the geometry. The piece is reliant on a spectator swinging the pendulum to start the motion. If one meditates on the hypnotic harmony, one might experience the appearance of a void like ellipse. However, in allowing the spectator to engage, inviting the visitor to play, chaos is introduced. The viewer can change the path of the light, they can disrupt – as an irritation, or with humour and amusement.
magnets and ferromagnetic elements are exploited to suspend plastics, polystyrene and acrylic tubing.
using strong neodymium “rare earth” magnets I have been arranging and hanging various items to produce sculptural forms. plastic and acrylic have been employed to disguise and disrupt the perception of magnetism associated with metal. i have also painted polystyrene balls with magnetite powder so that they can be lifted by a magnet and add confusion over a perceived density and weight.
alongside the minimalist chrome look of stainless steel; rods, ball bearings, a plumb bob and the magnets; I have added iron filings and ferromagnetic pigment. This monochrome palette has been further compounded with black plastic cable ties and the blackest black paint.
inadvertently, a slick visual “bachelor pad” aesthetic was created. This raised internal questions over the feel of the work. additionally I have been asking myself if I’m not just producing yet another minimalist sculpture, such as those below.
jesus rafael soto
nebuo sekine
however, my ventures into these realms are more concerned with discovering what the materials are capable of, what are their limits; how far can I push the precariousness of suspension; how can I utilise their inherent force, their movement and magnetic push and pull to create kinetic works. I tip my hat to minimalism and forge forward.
My mini installation contained in a briefcase and mounted within an upturned plinth was a magnetic medley comprising various elements, many suspended via rare earth magnets.
A pop-up white cube on the upper level houses an installation of micro proportions. A linen board lying on the floor, painted with magnetite, holds 6 magnets. Above this, a pair of drawing compasses is suspended, quivering as it is pulled in all directions. A mirror sits behind, but its’ angle distorts and the gaze is directed away with the reflection to the front of the cube. There, a box and a bag have magnets suspended midway up their faces, held only by the black dust within. On the walls of the cube are 2 small black paintings, revealing faint traces of their making history. On the floor of the briefcase lies a tally counter, ready for each visitor to check themselves in.
On the lower level, the installation has left the briefcase. On the wall is a tiny painting. Small black spikes protrude from a circular motif, the paint has solidified whilst seeking the magnet which helped to form it. Nearby, a dart with a black flight is suspended precariously from the fine point of its tip. It’s shadow is cast on the wall behind. Below magnetic powder is strewn on the floor, slowly creeping towards the neodymium magnet abandoned there.
On the other side of this “room” a series of magnets hang from black threads, beneath them is a network of rough shapes, shards of textured black earth, remnants from another painting; magnetic lumps that join and support each other whilst threatening to collapse at the same time.
I enjoyed the suitcase as a gallery space and an opportunity to install a micro version of what would otherwise be quite a large, complex installation. There was a freedom to explore within that format. The installation takes on a traditional white cube feel but it is subverted by using an upturned plinth. The plinth comments on the absurdity of elevating artwork to a higher level, it also creates 2 rooms, one above the other. This made me think about how a room could be changed or sectioned to incorporate different levels. Beyond the more sculptural elements hanging or displayed in the white cubes, there are items such as a tally counter, for visitors to check themselves in thus avoiding the gallery becoming overcrowded. I enjoyed playing with the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ ridiculousness of that concept in this context.
