Over the past few weeks as my residency approached I have been revisiting the mossland locations from within the scan data.
This process helps me to focus on the memory and experience of being in place and then translate this into creating a visual Haecceity.
After several years of working with the Scene software I still need to approach each new data set as if it were the first time I had used it. Every scan is a new experience and it takes me several weeks of working with it before I begin to capture images I connect with.
As the images progress then they shift from screen data drawings to physical ink on paper/board. This recreates a 3-dimensional quality and the drawings suddenly become objects to explore.
The decision to use conductive ink to create touch responsive panels was not part of my original proposal. However, this seemed a natural progression for the project as so much of what my research is about is the multi-sensory experience of place and how we look through many senses.
I am working with friend Leon Hardman, he also works at UCLan and is the brains behind the tech responsible for creating and carrying the sound. More than this though he is co-author of these pieces and has selected the sounds captured from Risley Moss in response to my images. Yesterday we began the install at Warrington Museum, the printed panels created at Artlab Contemporary Print Studios @UCLan in Preston will carry sound when touched. The testing has been problematic to say the least as this application of conductive ink is pushing the limits of our knowledge, the space and the materials.
One of the things I love about collaborating is the energy and drive which is created between two artists when their practices overlap. There becomes a space in different disciplines where something new can be created, it is exciting and challenging, unpredictable and rewarding.
The testing is not complete and we will continue to work on the install over the coming days. Through this residency and the opportunity gifted by the Museum and WCAF2017 my research and this installation has moved towards a new level of engagement, rediscovering seeing through physical interaction.
