Entering the space today I decided to remove all the elements from the space. Over the course of weeks I have been adorning the walls with drawings, images and collages and have had several props hanging in the space from day 1, including the overalls and wig. I removed all such items, and this is the first time I have stripped the space back. I noticed today I am starting to get a little precious with the objects and space, and I guess this is because the work is coming to a conclusion this weekend. Its been quite tough trying to decide what and how I want to show, install and exhibit and in what format- the actual or through documentation.
By removing the objects I was able to isolate each element of work that has occurred and see it stand alone. It also made me realise how much I do really love the space and being able to work within a context of a gallery space. The white walls allowing everything that the room contains to potentially be the artwork. The stark lighting and blank horizon allowing the most of everyday objects to become beautiful.
Firstly I decided to work a little more with the objects from my tool box, extending and developing this initial exercise further. I laid out all the contents of my tool box, a box of 'bits' from my studio, a box of 'bits' from my flat and the box of 'bits' from the gallery's office around the edge of the gallery floor, where it meets the walls. a comment on transferability of object in space and spaces that i inhabit, and universal familiarities and the ownership of certain things becoming an identity and depicting an interest- a universal commitment to something, to art possibly?
I then decided to film these objects, changing the camera angle, a consequence scale of the object and composing the direction of the floor/wall/object divides.
I played the footage back within the space, which was still filled with the objects and the film took on a real painterly presence. Almost like a series of abstract paintings, with shifting angles, shapes and colours. Playing this back in the space for me also became interesting alongside the actual objects. Highlighting the object and giving it a second reality almost, through mirroring the object back onto itself but flattened slightly with the format of film. This is something I had done previously with the footage of the desk mirroring the actual desk in the space.
Looking back at the 'bits' I realise how human they are, in terms of size and function and made solely for the purpose of aiding us in someway. They seem somewhat fundamental, essential to our living and very familiar. Everyone seems to have a 'bits' box somewhere- work, home, studio, garage?
This seemed to been another isolated work now and again I was not sure how I would present it, as the film, as photographs or the film and actual objects? I will perform in the same space so I'm cautious not to have too many objects in the space, so at the moment I'm thinking of showing just the film, but that is likely to change before Friday.
A focus on showing fair few video pieces now, I moved the other objects back in that I knew would want to be there and left this evening arranging the plinths for the TV sets. I feel a little numb with the work this evening, almost like I missing something, but as my partner suggests, maybe that's the audience? I think I found the experience of exposing the work to Jenny at the weekend that it made lots of sense to me whilst I was talking to her about it, but now its just me again, I feel really ready to have an audience to the work again, to allow me to gain perspective on it and for it to grow through exposure and conversation.
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