‘Who Will Provide’ Exhibition at The Crypt Gallery
31/10 – 4/11 2018
Our group of thirty three MFA students explored and responded to themes relating to charity and its place in today’s world. The exhibition presented a collection of site specific works, ranging from painting to sculpture, assemblage to video through to performance and photography.
Before the summer break preparations started by putting together various teams to properly organise and execute the event. The members of the research team responded to the site by looking into its history, connecting it to its past and designed the theme ’Who Will Provide?’ around the wish list, a document from 1995 which outlined the desired purpose for the building. This included shelter and provision for the homeless, serving the nearby student population and a focal point for community activities.
I volunteered to join the Installation Team. Over the summer I visited the crypt twice with the view to inform myself about the site (wall space, wall and ceiling heights, location of electrical outlets etc.) and to explore a potential location for my own work.
Two weeks prior to the event the curating team got in touch and supplied our team with a list of required tools and materials. We also received technical information on some more complicated works and installing requirements from The Crypt Gallery itself (No drilling of new holes!). There was very good collaboration between curating and installation team and minor installation problems were efficiently dealt with.
SKILLS: HANDLING ARTWORK, COLLABORATION, PROBLEM SOLVING, ATTENTION TO DETAIL,
SITE SPECIFIC WORKING
'I Will Find You'
This work was also inspired by research into the importance of mycelium, the spider like organism present underground.Combining model making materials with live plants, it was installed on a wall. Delicate and fragile, it looked 'pleasing' to the eye but didn't convey my intention
‘Es geht mir ganz gut’
(I am doing fine)
Inspiration/Concept:
Working to a Brief: MFA first group exhibition, including 36 works,
12x12-inch on paper or canvas. Theme: Conflict
My submitted work was inspired by correspondence between a prisoner of war in England and his fiancée back home in Austria. The letters (in German) and other original newspaper cuttings, a family heirloom, have been in my possession for quite some time and I was hoping that the piece would evoke a narrative in the viewer.
Method:
Sifting through substantial material and selecting letters, newspaper cuttings, a photo, tree clipping, 2nd World War food and clothes stamps. Assemblage on canvas, 12x12inch size with glue.
The title is taken from a line in one of the letters, only visible if you get very close.
Outcome:
I very much enjoyed assembling this piece. Working to a brief and a deadline gave me a frame and felt easier to accomplish than my practice at present where there is constant doubt about subject matter, material choice and a kind of open ended time frame.
The work generated some comments and interest in our studio and at the exhibition but not as much as I had imagined. For another presentation perhaps a short story (placed next to the assemblage) would be helpful.
In one review of the exhibition the writer found ‘the complexity of conflict issues within my work blooming’ and commented positively on the care of composition and execution.
'Trees Project'
Concept/Inspiration:
Looking at trees: surface (tree ‘skin’), structure, natural and man made.
Idea of Biophilia - the innate tendency to focus on life, a love for the natural world
The Biophilia Effect by C.Arvay
Psychological and physiological effects of trees/woods/forests on humans
Importance of trees as gesture towards urban renewal and to raise ecological consciousness
Method:
White and coloured plaster wrapping (mod rock) of real tree trunks and removal
Surface exploration; juxtapositioning with natural material;
part removal of plaster = wounded/ injured tree
Plaster wrapping of plastic tree trunk -
Research on site into ‘Urwald’- taking videos and still images
Spending extended time in forests over summer holidays.
Outcome:
Wrapping various tree trunks proved to be a very messy process. The surface of objects needs to be prepared beforehand (grease) otherwise plaster gets stuck. Results- definitions-varied, depending on kind of wood. The resulting ‘skins’ reminded me of some of the old trunks I saw in the primeval forest, slowly falling apart. I am planning to do more of them, perhaps adding more/different colour to the plaster.
Spending a lot of time in the forests this summer was very exciting and also very beneficial to my wellbeing. I had only come across ‘The ‘Biophilia Effect’ book well into the summer holidays and I found that many of the described experiences and positive effects applied to me.
'Fake Nature'
Responding to media coverage and the broadcasting of the documentary 'Drowning in Plastic' on the BBC, I experimented by collaging and building objects with man -made and natural materials.Burning plastic pieces created visually appealing shapes. Casting a piece of a tree trunk in cement and contrasting it with live plants it questions our perception of what's fake and what isn't.
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'Mushroom Project'
MATT: FOR THE 2 images pls use sgl mushroom and the image under it!!!!!!
Following latest reports by Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew on fungi worldwide and the fungi's increasing importance as a future recycler, I set upon fabricating mushroom shaped sculptures (approx. 8cm), using oven bake clay.
Baking them at varying degrees and lengths of time resulted in interesting surface variations.
These experiments also raise the question whether my work will be an appropriation or a fabrication of materials
'Pearl Delight'
Outcome:
Working with living organism turned out to be quite stressful- a lesson learnt and to be remembered. Many of the kits reacted differently i.e. grew much quicker even though treated the same/same room/same temperature. I had purchased more kits than I thought I would need, could therefore stagger the process and so adjust the timetable. Another lesson: You can’t completely control nature! One always needs a backup.
At installation time, on suggestion of our tutor, a more favourable location than the initial one was found at the site.Some of the boxes were hung on the wall, some placed on the floor and some scattered on walls in the main corridor of the Crypt.
Responses and reactions from peers and the public about this kind of strange, unusual work have overall been very positive. The fungi smell was quite powerful and was distributed around the area. Favourable comments were made about my response to this particular site. The display appeared to be intriguing as it wasn’t quite clear to some visitors if the mushrooms were fake or natural. Some wanted to touch the fungi- quite a few people did- and ambivalent reactions were noticed. I answered questions about ‘grow at home’ products and relayed facts about the importance of fungi for our ecosystem.
This work is a site specific response to the brief ‘Who Will Provide?’ about St. Pancras Church and its Crypt, centring around ideas of provision and preservation of services, safety and shelter for the community.
In line with current concerns on sustainability my idea to use
'Grow at Home' oyster mushroom kits seemed appropriate as these bags cause no damage the environment, in fact they recycle waste and would be ......'serving the community by feeding the needy'.
The crypt also offered suitable growing grounds as fungi like it damp and cool whilst needing little light.
A lot of experimentation( keeping records and taking images) was needed to get the growing process organised, having started well before exhibition dates. Working with living organism proved to be quite stressful as nature cannot be fully controlled -a lesson learnt and to be remembered. Always have a back up!
At the exhibition the boxes were hung on walls and placed on the floor, emitting a pungent smell around the area.
Good responses from public and enquiries.
Based upon the church’s community ‘Wish List’ from 1995, which detailed hopes and needs for the church’s future, my site- specific work responded to ….’serving the community by feeding the needy ‘, by suggesting the church possibly to supply ‘Grow at Home ‘kits as an idea to grow food for oneself. In line with current concerns on sustainability, these mushroom kits cause no damage to the environment, in fact they recycle organic waste (i.e. woodchips, paper, coffee grounds) into tasty, healthy protein (Oyster Mushroom spawn).
The crypt offers very suitable growing grounds as fungi like it damp and cool whilst needing very little light.
Method:
Research into 'grow at home 'food, selecting mushrooms (Oyster variety) suitable for project and proposed site. Purchasing sample kits from different companies in September and starting growing process by following instructions. Various growth stages were recorded and photographed. (around 14 days growing period). Timing was going to be crucial as the kits should show growth within our 6 day exhibition time.
Purchase of 18 boxes; activating growth process spaced out 10-12-13-14 days before the exhibition days.
'Fear Fruit'
My installation 'Fear Fruit ' responded to the issue of global warming, in particular to the impact on fruit trees observed in summer 2018. Under pressure from increased temperatures, the trees produced unprecedented amounts of fruits.
The artwork attempted to communicate these findings but was not quite successful as a poetic and ambiguous angle was missing to allow room for a less didactic interpretation.
The installation, my first, had proved to be a valuable lesson on how to approach this method: :
to carefully consider what to include and what not, to let the work speak for itself and making the audience a participant of the setting.