The mill is derelict and full of dangers. I had to promise to read risk assessments and safety notices and take proper precautions. I have chosen one of the less derelict rooms, though the windows are boarded up. Co-housing members have helped me gather up the plastic pieces and lay them out in the room next to the one I plan to transform. I wondered whether to research the history of Lune Engineering Works for ideas or imagery to include, but time is limited, so I think not. I have found quite a number of scrapped posters or abandoned items which I think will generate ideas.
While lying awake at night, I visualised the whole installation, but experience tells me that this perfection will not be achieved, and I will in any case change my mind. But I am excited to be working on a piece which – however loosely – is based in my mind on the current world situation – the unravelling of capitalism.
I started trying to attach the plastic to the walls with clips, as an experiment to see how things looked and worked. Oh dear. Some of the walls are normal partition, as I thought, but others are made of metal. I was fooled by the presence of wire clip fixings nailed into the metal. Time for me to rethink.
So I tried using Grabslikenails, but it works best if one surface is absorbent. The plastic stuck to the wallpaper, but not very well to the metal. OK. I will paper the metal and use the glue on that. (My proposal included my commitment to use removable fixings, so that renovation will not be made more difficult or more costly, and I am mindful of that.)
I spent the rest of the time sorting the plastic by colour and length, so it is like a palette, ready for me to use.
