Output details

Analogue, and peer-reviewed journal piece in Zētēsis, The International Journal for Fine Art, Philosophy and the Wild Sciences, Vol 1, No. 2, pp. 81-83.

Research comprises two exhibitions: Analogue, with Mhairi Vari, Domobaal Gallery, London, 10 April - 17 May 2008 and Unravelling Nymans, 4 May – 31 Oct 2012, works using redundant technologies, materials and processes to generate sculptural work that act as a physical expression of post-Newtonian theories of the universe.

The Analogue exhibition posed fundamental questions about the relationship between abstract thought and visual thinking. Consisting of a C-type photographic print dry mounted onto glass, a C type photographic print encrusted with Swarovski crystal, a mahogany, videotape and diamante sculpture, and a collaborative work (with Mhairi Vari), it incorporated 80 vinyl albums, a Kodak carousel slide tray, resin and aluminium. The analogous and metaphoric potential within the materials sought to question the visual modelling of “invisible” conditions of the universe as expressed by the anthropic principle in both astrophysics and the cosmological sciences, whereby the physical universe must be compatible with the conscious life that is able to observe that physicality. Juxtaposing discreet tensions of ugliness/beautiful to develop a novel synthetic notion of corrupted beauty and voluptuous ugliness, this initial research made use of analogue photography, pushing technical boundaries of current image production using dry-mounting to create an almost entirely black image onto glass. The surface “perfection” required, worked at the absolute limit of the process (two years in the making). Unravelling Nymans, a site-specific sculptural work initiated by Unrivalled Arts, responded to aspects of the historical and architectural narratives at Nymans House and Gardens. Consisting of a1800 mm acrylic sphere, the inside expresses a complex pattern generated through the deposit of carbon onto a highly detailed series of botanical stencils. The work is a challenging physical intervention that “disturbs” the prevailing decorative, domestic aesthetic and introduces the audience to one of the key historical narratives in the property.