What is going on with the weather??! OMG!
I was beaten on my last trip to Lumsden to SSW by drifting snow and ice in conditons culminating in the coldest March for 50 years.
After few weeks on haiatus and I’ll be back to work next weekend. It’ll be my final session at SSW before my project is complete.
On the cards is final painting (interior & exterior) to prepare it for transporation back to Aberdeen to my studio.
A meeting planned tomorrow to go over a potential exhibtion opportunity in Aberdeen City centre as part of the city’s 2014 UK City of Culture bid.
Exciting – more news to come soon…
Representations of the Real
After a day of rest (sort of) I’m back to my my full strength after another weekend of painting, DIY, sanding, filing and heavy lifting.
Add in some unforeseen stress about the length of screws, an emergency drive to Huntly for chocolate and you have an exhausting but positive few days. Time slipped away from me this weekend as after watching Scotland V France for the 6 Nations, it was suddenly 10:45 pm.
Sunday unfolded (quite literally) and the Doocot was assembled for the first time. Measurements to plan but some tweaks to work out to counter the wood storage and heat of the studio.
Even if you tick off parts of your list, more seem to add themselves. I suppose maybe it’s something to do with the manifestation of an idea and the outcome being different to what you’ve previously imagined.
…philosophy of failure as a form of perfection… – Bazon Brock
A few parting thoughts.
What constitutes the representation of a real thing?
Layered representations inside another representation… what have you got then?
Video as a Research Paradgim – A Digital Sketchbook Existing in Time
A few days ago I met with Helen who’s husband races his pigeons across the east of Scotland. She was kind enough to let me observe the ‘Doos”, meet and chat with her family and sip coffee with her and her mum.
She then left me to it as I looked, recorded and fell a wee bit in love with the pigeons, their sounds, movements, interactions and plumage (like they’ve been dipped into an oil).
I collected audio that day that will hopefully make the final edit for the audio content of the installation.
For the video content – this was always a maybe as to whether it would make the final work as digital content – it seems that for this project the video is becoming like a sketchbook, a source I can make that exists as an exercise and precursor to the final sound installation.
I’m not really sure how I feel about that yet, having always edited and re-edited video to reach a final moving image work.
I suppose it was really an exercise in contemplation if nothing else.
Does this have another function I can’t see yet?
How to Construct a Home for Pigeons That Can Fit in a Transit Van
I found myself working backwards – not from the usual still image / end-goal in my sights – but from a deep rooted fear.
Oh God – what if I can’t move the thing?!
Concern #1 – If it’s big, how can I transport it?
Concern #2 – How big?
Concern #3 – How big do they make vans?
Concern #4 – Are you even able to hire a big van?
A sudden flurry of drawings, discussions, crossed out drawings. The decision was made. The sculpture will be in two parts.
First the base is a rectangle 200cm h x 100cm w x 150cm L. This will be construed in two L shapes that will fold flat or transportation. Each part will be hinged to allow it to be un-folded for installation.
There is a top section that is detachable with a lid. 50cm h x 100cm w x 150cm L. The back face is 20cm h x 100 w so the lid slopes. Again, the top section will fold flat to transport via hinges.
Upon assembly, where the sides meet, there will be straight barrel door bolts to lock in place.
In my mind I can imagine the seamless movement of stage props and backgrounds but I think that is perhaps a tad to ambitious and almost orchestral in scope.
As well as Mike Tyson for inspiration another obvious analogy would suggest Ikea and Srewfix Direct…
On the Waterfront (1954). Director: Elia Kazan. Edie visits Terry and protege Tommy on the rooftops where they raise pigeons.
