The piece I have constructed most recently conforms to the second approach of focussing on the object and what it means to me; the significance of the collection and what it represents conceptually. The installation, which at the moment is untitled, consists of hundreds of keys; all different shapes and sizes, colours, ages, weights and functionalities. I have been actively collecting these objects over the last 6 months, but up until now have been unsure on how to use them.
I was initially attracted to the keys for several reasons. Firstly, they are extremely interesting things which are so varied in physical structure and form. Even though they all have the same general purpose in the world, each one is so visually different in its design. The antique ones in particular are beautifully crafted and hold within them so many stories; each one has its own life. I also find it interesting that this life span dramatically changes once it’s been lost or made obsolete; it goes from being one of the most important things on our person to meaning absolutely nothing once it has been replaced or misplaced.
From my point of view, the most significant attribute of a key is its capacity to mean and represent a multitude of things; freedom, imprisonment, security, danger, power, importance, rank and value. But probably the most resonant quality for me is the key’s potential; it holds so much possibility and opportunity. I love to imagine what each one was originally used for and what journey it took to reach me.
All of these reasons are why I chose to collect keys in the first place. It was not until I placed them within a space I started to understand how and why the installation could be seen as autobiographically representational. Unlike previous works, I started this particular piece with a process as opposed to a concept. Ordinarily I would start with an idea and create a piece in accordance with it- trying out all possibilities and directions before settling with something I think best defines that concept. With this piece, I knew I wanted to use keys but did not know what significance they were going to have when collectively displayed within the context of a ‘gallery-like’ space.
I knew I wanted to accentuate the intricacies of each key without physically altering the object’s structure. I wondered how I could highlight the detail and the varying shapes of each one- how could I bring to the viewer’s attention each key’s varying aesthetic value? I figured the simplest way in which I could do this was to project the keys’ shadows onto the surrounding white walls using a singular bright light. Although the outcome is cringingly resemblant of Cornelia Parker’s Cold Dark Matter, it manages to successfully fulfil the initial objective. The array of soft and sharp shadows not only visually doubles the quantity of keys on display but they also manage to bring to attention the individual diversity within the collection. Some of the keys are enlarged as much as a meter in length- depicting the unusual shapes of the ‘flag’ (the flag is the uniquely cut section of metal at the end of each key that manually turns the bolting mechanism within the structure of the lock- these, particularly in the older keys from the 19th and early 20th C are extremely unusual). Another reason for wanting to incorporate shadows was to bring the space together- to engulf the viewer within the collection to enable them to really appreciate the collection on display. The reaction I received from the piece was very positive- I noticed people being drawn into the space and staying there for a considerable amount of time, the majority of them were absorbing the details of each key- often pointing out the more unusual ones and stating which one is their favourite.
But what does this piece mean to me?
