SHIFT: THE INTENDED SPACE
This project started a journey; one where concept began to reassert itself as a prominent factor within my practice. "The intended space" was about breeching the confines of the plinth which I had confined myself to in many ways between 2017-2021. This spoke not only to the idea of space but also to the nature of the work I had been creating.
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Stilt Vessel Mk 1 was a simple assembly of a small turned vessel with thin stilt like appendages to be assembled at a chosen location. I made the decision to implement the project in Leicester; partly in homage to time here as an art student, where many of my first ideas of conceptual art were encountered.
Beech on narrow dowels.
Beech on narrow dowels.
Beech on narrow dowels.
Beech on narrow dowels.
Oak with Adjustable dowels. First location Victoria Park.
Oak with Adjustable dowels. Second Location Adjacent to Abbey Park & Golden mile.
Oak with Adjustable dowels. Final Location, Opposite DMU Campus.
Oak with Adjustable dowels. First location Victoria Park.
Mk II came along a year later, making the stilts adjustable to allow multiple locations to be inhabited. And with the Mk II's disappearance at the third site, we had encountered interaction with the audience. Unscripted and without any rule of conduct. It highlighted the irony of the plinth in many respects; one such example being the play between presenting and protecting. How many times have I wanted to interact with something, to be denied by the protocols of a gallery or museum.
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Here there were no rules, just an object, a space and anything in between. From this interaction, I understood the role played by the space itself. Not only for setting the nature of the object, but in dictating the conduct of the audience.