It is now two days after the private view (BEEBOX @ Bromyard, Herefordshire) a very different experience of exhibiting for me. This has been a collective of 10 artists making their own response to a poem by Sylvia Plath. I came rather late to the group ... previously they had met and discussed their strategy for the exhibition. The decision was made to respond to the same poem which was agreed between them, this was back in April. Most of the artists were previously unkown to me and were either recent Fine Art graduates or currently studying for their MAs either in Herefordshire or Worcestershire. I am the only one studying at BA level. Thus I found the different approaches and the round table discussions very helpful and stimulating. The overall project was being curated by two of the group ... they gave us an open brief on the work we produced but they would take the decision on which work would be included.
As I wanted to create a site-specific piece I chose to go outside the building. I think this was fortuitous as I was able to source some 'found' distorted crates ( probably been under a hedge for about 40 years). I used some fluorescent cord to tether a stack of these crates and 'pulled' the elements apart. To me this felt a successful attempt to convey the inner wranglings and tensions within the poem. The two materials so very different in form and age were mutually interdependent (in fact there was much shifting over the weeks this was formed) to work together, yet against each other, within the form. The result felt quite menacing and almost 'tortured', on the brink of breaking up. These are just the emotions and experiences that I felt were contained within the poem.
What I did not predict was how my installation would work with the 'box-like' building which hosted the show. I had placed a solar-powered 'white' security light on the ground which shone through the work. But what was a lovely surprise was how this interacted with the very orange / yellow light from the street light. This cast not only shadow lines and a sunset glow across and up around the building ... but even more exciting the shadows went in the front door and appeared on the inside wall! Consequently my installation has grown and extended in all directions which creates more imagery and meaning for me.
Of course the exhibition runs the rest of this week from 11- 5 pm so the viewers will see a very different installation in the daylight. So this work is not only site-specific but very much time-specific.
I find the exhibition diverse and hugely rewarding and perhaps more interesting due to the fact that we were responding to the same poem. An added plus was the invitation of a group of poets and writers to the pv who are charged with writing their own responses to our visual responses. Thus the written word will have been translated into art and back into the written form. This process sounds very exciting to me (maybe something along the lines of the process in the 'digital dialogues' collaboration in previous blog). We are all due to reconvene at this venue in February 2016 to listen to the writers responses. Watch this space ....
Of course the exhibition runs the rest of this week from 11- 5 pm so the viewers will see a very different installation in the daylight. So this work is not only site-specific but very much time-specific.
I find the exhibition diverse and hugely rewarding and perhaps more interesting due to the fact that we were responding to the same poem. An added plus was the invitation of a group of poets and writers to the pv who are charged with writing their own responses to our visual responses. Thus the written word will have been translated into art and back into the written form. This process sounds very exciting to me (maybe something along the lines of the process in the 'digital dialogues' collaboration in previous blog). We are all due to reconvene at this venue in February 2016 to listen to the writers responses. Watch this space ....