‘On Brown & Violet Grounds’
Install Diary
Friday, 20 September 2013
DAY 4 of Install – On Brown and Violet Grounds
I started the day painting a plinth I brought with me from my studio at Rogue and positioning a TV on top. This screen will show a newly commissioned video about my practice, my recent Arts Council England funding award and the new works I have been making. The video has been filmed and edited by my good friend Jamie Hyde, who filmed my ‘In Conversation’ as part of my Chroma solo exhibition at BLANKSPACE last July. This short film will also be shown in my studio space as part of Rogue Open Studios – on at the same time as On Brown and Violet Grounds.
I spent a little more time refining and rearranging the new and existing materials I had brought to Piccadilly Place with me. This included a giant mirror that I used in a past work. I may use it in a new piece, but so far it has remained in bubble-wrap:
Another job I had was to touch-up by re-painting my work from Barnaby Festival. While I was in my overalls and with roller in hand I also filled, sanded and painted the walls of the space. I am a real stickler for ‘shit-hot’ walls. It was drilled into me at art school, and for good reason. Beautiful, smooth walls allow there to be no distractions from the work.
The temptation is to hang one of my newly framed drawings on my newly painted walls that I prepared; however the walls will be part of one of my works, brightly reflecting the hues of emitted coloured light.
Colour theory is magic!!!
Thursday, 19 September 2013
DAY 3 of Install – On Brown and Violet Grounds
The first thing I was keen to see upon returning to Piccadilly Place yesterday morning was if the banner was still up. It turns out the sticky hooks I bought did the job and all is well.
Yesterday was all about refining and rearranging what I had laid out and devised the day before. I am literally drawing in the space, moving each element of the installation a foot or two until I am satisfied it works in harmony with the details and feel of the Piccadilly Place unit.
In one particular work, reflections of the ceiling are multiplied when the viewer explores the work and looks into the mirrors laid over the light source. This piece also draws attention to the grimy concrete floor by spreading coloured light outwards onto it. This work was devised from a drawing which I made earlier this summer.
In another work – that I spent a few hours tweaking, the light source is partially covered allowing for a painterly outcome.
The third work has come directly from this years Macclesfield’s Barnaby Festival, where I was commissioned to make a new work through their Arts Council England supported programme. Later in the week I will re-position and re-interpret this piece within Piccadilly Place. So far the three light-boxes have been rewired and plugged in to see how much light they throw out in their new home. It is still to be decided where they will be positioned in the vast space.
The forth and final installation work in ‘On Brown & Violet Grounds’ will take its shape during my 10 day ‘residency’. I have been playing with the sticklights (which make up this piece) making them into different configurations. I am really pleased with how these trials are turning out, but am keeping the outcome a secret, for now!
