1000 word realisation

Through out this project I have learnt to keep options open for changes when dealing with an outside exhibition, as many factors have changed through the stages of this project for all of us involved. We’ve constantly had to change and make sure our work fits to how the Cathedral wanted it handled. There have been constant extras added in throughout the development and so the final exhibition was a slightly different image to how we envisaged.

When first applying it was hard to make a brief as we didn’t know where in the Cathedral the exhibition was going to take place. Myself and Evie Flewitt decided to collaborate on this project as we wanted the challenge of exhibiting in an unfamiliar space. We wanted our work to respond to the location, so we didn’t have any pre conceived ideas of what to create until we visited the site. When we visited the site a main factor that was grabbing our attention was the scaffolding. I knew it was on the outside but didn’t realize it consumed the inside too. From walking round and gathering information with photographs, we decided we wanted to focus on the scaffolding.

We only found out where the exhibition could take place after handing in our briefs. It was challenging to create an idea with no location, but we made our idea adaptable to suit different locations. In the second meeting we got given two choices for locations; have 5 days in the research centre (modern building) or 2 days within the cloisters. There was no debate to be had, we all decided we wanted the location to be within the architecture of the Cathedral.

We all wanted the challenge of exhibiting within a space that wasn’t just white walls and empty. For 2 of the works (mine and Evies and Sam and Louisa’s) they focused on space, abstraction and architecture. Our works are modern and we wanted the contrast against the Cathedral building. The other 2 works were made from more traditional mediums but were both still modern pieces and so all our work had a nice balance.

The location had a great influence on our works; for all of us to exhibit the works needed to be self sufficient (no hanging, easy to move, easy to set up and be able to be left un attended). For mine and Evies work this didn’t have a major effect on what we envisioned, as the frame work would be scaffolding, which is easy to assemble and weather proof.  What we had to think about was the materials we were going to attach to the frame work. For others it meant they had to change their work; for Sam Turff and Louisa Clements their original plan which the Cathedral accepted was to use electricity for a film, but after being accepted and choosing the location it was then discovered that no electrics could be used.

After getting the location of the cloisters and knowing we were allowed to use the archways as a platform (so the work is somewhat out of the publics reach), we took measurements and created a space within the university to experiment with shapes with in the space. What we did find challenging when coming up with shapes is knowing how it will look in the Cathedral space as we was creating it with in a white wall frame. We continued visiting the Cathedral a number of times, to become familiar with the spaces’ surroundings, in order to know how the sculpture will fit with in.

With not being able to test install, the exhibition being a short turn around and change in locations it meant me and Evie had to continually evolve our shape to suit the locations given.  As a result, we created many options of materials to use on the day as we didn’t know how the final piece will look in its location on the day. We labeled the construction into sections and kept pieces together so it became like flat pack furniture, making the set up as quick as possible.

Originally we did want to use Perspex as a material of choice to represent the ‘stain glass’, but after researching the pricing, it was out of our budget. We came up with an alternative, cheaper option to use acetate. With the acetate we chose to screen print our chosen colours (orange, blue and yellow) which referenced the scaffolding. To begin with we were going to use big shapes that filled in the gaps between the scaffolding but we didn’t like the effect. After lots of trial and error we decided to cut it into smaller pieces and make strings out of it. This idea was inspired by the artist Bronwyn Lace. After deciding on the acetate strings, it meant that we could make as many lengths of the string for us to use on the day.

Our work was weather dependent as we wanted to play with capturing the shadows from the acetates but on the day it was overcast. We decided to take the material away and just keep the acetates, as the other material would distract from acetate with there being no shadows to capture. By creating a piece that was flexible, it meant we could respond to the site on the day.

The audience said they enjoyed the delicate pieces of acetate and the colours used and thought it was a nice contrast to the setting.  An architecture student wanted to know more about the piece and why we chose the name ‘Temporality’ as his own work is using the word temporality. We chose the word temporality as directly responds to the length of the exhibition and because our piece utilizes the sun light. The piece will temporarily come to life when lit up from the sun as it passes.

An exhibition which was curated and had works from tutors at my university helped aid my piece in keeping the idea flexible and let the piece respond to the setting. The show was called interval and because it was also set in an outside space which couldn’t be occupied for very long the documentation became the piece. Having this thought in my head, I made sure to keep the play alive when creating the piece and have fun with the recording.

Even though myself and Evie weren’t overwhelmed with the final outcome, I’m glad the piece was created to be flexible as it let us constantly research and play with our ideas through out the project. Even on the day we created a new shape with the strings that suited the location better (from entering the side the acetate was shaped like an arch/spiral). I recorded the piece from different angles utilizing the compositions created and seeing the bond with the background of the Cathedral in scaffolding. I believe the work is better as a research piece and the videos and photographs become the real ‘piece’.