Staffordshire University

Its all finished!. All the work is in the exhibition is up, but it opens on the 11th of June so a while to wait.

The prints look great and I’m really happy with them, yet they were difficult to hang.

The work ‘In Reckoning’ has deflated quite a lot from it original state. It now really deals with the disappointment I have with scientific imagery in the media.

Which is in contrast to the glossy prints of ‘In Vitro’ which are seductive and glittering – dealing with how the imagery is beautiful. But not everything that is beautiful is interesting.

So its getting closer to the end now the exhibition should be completed by friday, and monday for any last minute emergencies.

So my work has changed, which means instead of showing 6 small precious sculptures alongside a giant foreboding sculpture. I’m not showing 2 large prints alongside the large sculpture.

I’m very happy with the outcome and cant wait to see the prints. The prints are far more succesful in talking about seduction and enticement aroundscientific imagery.

The large sculpture upon a raised plinth has such a foreboding scale it sits in opposition to the glossy prints resonating with the thoughts around seduction and disappointment.

These images will be the final prints that I exhibit.

The studios have been cleared out and the building of spaces and the decorating has begun. Leaving little time to work on the actual art thats going to be shown. I’ve been working for a number of weeks with the small sculptures that I’m going to exhibit, building up layers of metal fleck and resin. Some of the sculptures have ended up without metal fleck as well which I think will work.

For the final show my work is about ambiguity, questioning the authenticity of scientific imagery and specimiens. Its also about playing with a scientific language of display and that of sculptural language which I think is an interesting juxtaposition. Most evenings are taken up with working on these small sculptures which I hope will be nearing completion within the next week.

The giant spherical sculpture I intend to show is nearly completed, and is waiting in a safe place to be “popped”, and transported to the exhibition space.

Photographs show my sculptures in various stages of production.

So as the pressure seems to be mounting the solutions are having to be found for the show.

I have a space in fact two spaces which is good. Not a 100% sure if they will work but thats how it goes with a huge show and issues of curation.

I’ve been in the studio for the last week working on a giant balloon as a basis for one of the sculptures I intend to show, and as the week went on so the balloon deflated! I managed to sort it in the end but technical issues just get on top at this stage in the game.

I’m approximately a week behind on the small sculptures that I have been making to go in the second space of the show due to the workshops running out of resin, now sorted but non the less behind. I’m still really experimenting with these small sculptures which are painted aluminium bases and layers of resin and metal fleck – which is used in modding and spraying cars to get custom effects.

The display of these sculptures which are 5x5cm and a height of between 8- 12 cm is a problem. I want to display them on custom sized 80cm tall plinths at 5×5 cm which would jut out of the gallery space walls, seamless and sterile. Not sure if this can happen now, due to health and safety and construction concerns. I’m really in a state of limbo as I wait to be told what I can’t do.

So in the mean time Im getting on with the resin work for the sculptures.

Heres some other early images of the bases for the sculptures and the balloon in my messy studio with its inital layer of fibres.

Its been a while since I’ve posted, however thats because I’ve so focused on sorting on whats going into the final show. I’ve been working on paintings that explore visual deficit and how deficit is beautiful. Over the last month I’ve realised that all my work has an undercurrent of dealing with the enticement of scientific imagery, and my disappointment in its lack of substance and false pretence.

Last weekend was Glasgow International which provided a platform and opportunity to really think about my final show away from home and see some really interesting work. Firstly got involved in an intervention at the Briggait WASP studios with Ian Curno and his artist Group Red Tent, which involved erecting a large red tent in the Courtyard which was a massive success with the tent in such contrast to the architecture and iron work of the Briggait. Claire Barclays work at Glasgow Print Studios really made me think about the display language that she plays with and how thats of huge importance to my final show. I had been thinking of using display cabinets typical of the sort found in science museums yet now I think that would be far too obvious.

I want my work in the show to be partly about questioning the reality of science and its imagery, asking the viewer to make the decisions about what my work is, yet I also want to play with the language of sculpture and its presentation. I think I’ve come to a decision about how I will display the work by taking elements of scientific / musuem display but mixing that with a language of sculpture and truth to material.

Images: These show some of my early test pieces for the paintings/objects that I will be making.