2nd Nature

I went to the Private View of 2nd nature this evening at Truro Cathedral and Vitreous Contemporary Art (also in Truro). I had a lovely time looking at all the wonderful video works in the cathedral and then it was over to the gallery for a few glasses of wine, a lot of me talking inebriated crap to my friends (or maybe it was 'at' my friends!!!) and looking at some of the other work on the walls there too - I did remember to do that bit honest! I thought the stuff on both sites was really well put together - especially the cathedral which seemed to be very sensitive to it's environment without being in the least bit site specific. I loved Rupert's chough projection (picture below) of a huge, ghostly white bird which appeared to be circling about above a stained glass window, and over at the gallery I was enamoured of Daryl Waller's drawings that made references to birds! (I am not in the least bit predictable, honest...) For me, it was especially interesting to hear my own work in new environments and see what changes this made to the work. I originally made Other Shores to be heard outside in an old cathedral-like mine building at South Wheal Francis, where it was wildly windy and you had to listen really closely to hear anything at all. In Truro Cathedral the sound had been 'enhanced' (made louder), which highlighted some of the background noises, making me think of heart beats and machinery. In the gallery I didn't know what to make of it - it was just background noise!!! It would be interesting to go back when there isn't a party going on and see what effect it has then. The gallery owner was saying that she'd had it playing all day and found it very relaxing to listen to (soporific more like!!!!), which was nice to hear. Anyhow, the alcohol is wearing off a bit now, so I'm off to see what I can dig out of the back of a cupboard somewhere - ttfn!!


Above: Rupert White's projection 'The Chough Project', projected above a stained glass window in the Chapel of Unity and Peace. It shows footage of a flying chough rendered in negative so that it appears ghost like (like a white silhoutte), particularly in the dim and gloomy lighting that I saw it in this evening. I wonder how different it'll look during the day with the light pouring through the window...



Above: Andy Whall's installation 'In an Atlantic Wave' comprises 6 video screens placed to the side of the pews in the central nave. Each screen shows the same video of the inside of a wave. The number of screens makes it feel relentless, like you're being churned up again and again and again.


Above: someone listening to my sound work 'Other Shores' on headphones next to the Quire. I know it's a crap photo, but hey this is my blog and you need to know that I make work too!!!! Play Other Shores (approximately 6 minutes)