Artist
recently, in another zine on this site, I described some of my work as performative. I used ‘performative’ as I thought the works, which move in some way or another, were in their own way, performing or acting out. on reflection I started to question whether this was the appropriate use of that word. this is the research and notes that came from that query.
I was only able to attend one of the 2 days of the fascinating ‘picturing the invisible’ conference held in chelsea’s banqueting hall, but I have continued to reflect on several of the topics raised and the information delivered. this is an excerpt from my notes on that day.
“This project brings together leading academics from a wide range of disciplines including Art and Design, Architecture, Curatorial Practice, Literature, Forensic Science, Fashion, Medical Science, Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy, Philosophy and Astrophysics with a shared interest in exploring how, in each discipline, we strive to find expression for the invisible or unknown.” UAL
“In any field, find the strangest thing and then explore it.”
American Physicist, John Archibald Wheeler
I am fascinated by the materiality of things and conversely elusivity itself.
I want to see what happens when invisible forces and elements are allowed to take a hand. investigating materials, thinking through scenarios, and putting them into practice. removing the visible hand of the artist to create an illusion for the viewer and to evoke a sense of wonder. by setting up scenarios where the space itself is activated I seek to answer the question “what happens if?” and to pose the “why?”.
as materials, reactions and kinesis come to the fore in my work I am trying to discover more about the science behind them, and how I can further exploit it. with a subtle nod to childhood memories of science kits and classroom experiments I am rediscovering basic chemistry and scientific principles. through a playful exploration of physics I aim to develop a greater understanding of forces, magnetism and magnetic fields, as well as light and areas of the electromagnetic spectrum.
I want to invite the viewer to take notice, catch a glimpse; to make one aware, reveal that which is unseen or hinted at; to highlight invisible forces, make concepts tangible. in this I question the stuff of our transparent history and continue to ask,
“what is left beyond memory when an act fades?“
a zine about Platonic solids and my favourite shape, the dodecahedron
the zine can be printed and cut out to form a dodecahedron. this one was printed on Robert Fludd’s 1617 segment of the macrocosm showing the elemental spheres of terra (earth), aqua (water), aer (air), and ignis (fire), de musica mundana, and assembled so that the word content is inside the shape. it can also be constructed with the words outside, and rolled like a die, to read each page in a random order.
“I am the number of fingers on a hand. I make pentagons and pentagrams. and but for me dodecahedra could not exist; and, as everyone knows, the universe is a dodecahedron. So, but for me, there could be no universe.”
the number 5 in Bertrand Russell’s 1954 short story,
“the mathematician’s nightmare: the vision of professor squarepunt”
Recent public lectures at the Royal Astronomical Society have included Dr Stephen Wilkins “Origins of the Periodic Table”, Dr Sarah Crowther’s “Moon, Meteorites and more” and Richard Hechter’s “Connecting with people: developing unity and understanding under the nights sky”.
I have been expanding my own thoughts on more universal aspects; that of space, time and the universe. these lectures, in principal, are dealing with space and the cosmos, looking out at the night sky.
In Origins of the Periodic Table, Wilkins discussed the astrophysical origins of the chemical elements, almost all of which have an origin ranging from the big bang, to exploding white dwarfs, the collapse of massive stars, and the merger of ultra-compact objects, neutron stars. the final mechanism is responsible for many of the heaviest and rarest elements including gold, silver, and uranium, and was only recently confirmed through observations of a merger event first identified using gravitational waves. this merger of ultra-compact objects I’ve since discovered is also responsible for forming stones such as lapis lazuli. prized for centuries and historically used as a blue pigment. it would not have otherwise naturally occurred on earth if it wasn’t for some sort of merger or impact.
Dr Crowther introduced rock samples and discussed how different extra-terrestrial materials made it to earth (aside from those physically brought back from the moon by Apollo astronauts 50 years ago). Her research looks at the evolution of the early Solar System through laboratory-based chemical analysis of extra-terrestrial materials; age-dating meteorites to unravel the thermal and impact histories of their parent asteroids. it was fascinating to handle rock samples in person, and to learn more about materials from outer space. rocks seem such everyday items, very much of our world, grounding and tactile. rough, bulky and earthly, it was good to ponder how we look at things and their associations.
in that way, Hechter’s lecture surprised me. it was about humans; breaking down borders, understanding that across our planet we all share the same sky. the stories and myths from other cultures don’t just entertain; they connect us, educate and inform; and in offering up a different view, remind us that our perspective is not the only one.
“The night sky provides an ethereal backdrop of awe and wonder that unites people in ways we are only now coming to explore… astronomy can be the nexus for connecting people across cultures and religions in an effort to help create a better world.”
musings on homelessness
whilst I was writing various texts for the mafa zines my mind went wandering in this direction, reflecting on a still fairly recent period in my life that no doubt continues to influence by work.
I wanted to use an old typewriter to produce faded incomprehensible text in places, to highlight the invisibility one can sometimes feel. additionally I used tracing paper, to highlight this invisibility and also to reflect the layering and residues of transition that I write about. the cover is made from a glossy white page that reflects the light and a sheet of acetate in which you can see your own image and a reflection of your surroundings, domestic or otherwise. typing on the acetate projects a shadow onto the page behind that further amplifies the repetition of travelling back and forth. inside, the tracing paper is folded in a way that has been used for maps, a Turkish fold. this seemed appropriate for both commenting on place and also for acknowledging aspects of oneself that we might like to be kept hidden, and compartmentalised by neatly folding away.
additional images taken from the wall of one of my homes
a print and fold zine exploring commonalities between my recent UN1T show work, ‘off track’ and that of rebecca horn’s, ‘ballet of the woodpeckers’ and ‘concert for anarchy’, currently on show in the tanks at tate modern
off track
mirror ball motor, black cable ties, shelf, snaps
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
off balance
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.
taking a magnet for a walk
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.
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.