Studio Swap Residency – Day 1
The idea of proportion became more tangible then, and I was often tempted to involve proportion in my every creative attempt.
Lau Chung Hang, “The Proportion of Rectangles”
Amongst other amazing features of CAC’s residency space is a wonderful library. I arrived yesterday morning with a miniscule glimmer of an idea, but as the day went on (a bit too quickly for my liking) I found quotes (such as the one above) and objects (small pot of inexplicably gold gravel), which have helped solidify my plans.
I started the residency with a challenge to myself: I will use these five days to complete a whole piece. This is really tricksy for me, as I normally work to much longer timescales.
I have been thinking about how Yu-Chen is interested in the Industrial Revolution (hence our recent trip to Quarry Bank Mill) – I don’t particularly want to encroach on her chosen subject area and so I thought how about I look at that from the other angle? Natural Revolutions? The recent Tsunami sprang to mind. I thought about how a Tsunami is a “Wave Train” and how this name neatly brings together the clash of Nature and Culture which the reality so messily bears out.
So… that’s what I’m making (and why I spent most of yesterday creating paper models): a small-scale work about Nature and Culture – when they work together (collaborate) and when they do not. I love that this is a ridiculously huge topic to consider in only five days.
Today I finalise working models, gather materials and work like the clappers.
