MAY POP OFF
@ INJUSTICE
images
notes
Friday 08.07.20
…that’s what Constable declared when he rocked up to the RA Summer Exhibition to check up on his painting and saw that his archnemesis, Turner, had visited too and had left a little gift behind… he had added a little red blob to his painting… which changed the entire meaning of Turner’s painting. Turner had basically, one-upped Constable (lastminute.com stylee).
I mention this story here… as I rocked up to The Line London today for the wrap party and because I assumed tonight would be the takedown… (I was wrong, take down is happening next week) and have noticed that my installation has been tweaked!!! As opposed to one lone balloon up on the swing, my balloon has [ ] why there’s ONE red balloon up on the swing, ha!
So, yeah, someone has rolled up, into the gallery and fired a gun… buuuuut, it’s all good. I meant what I said previously about interacting with my work - bloody heck, it makes it more interesting for me too… but yeah, I did notice and it did make me chuckle. And you know what, I’m sure the balloon appreciates the company and like the previous installation says - ‘always hiring, join above’… so, it’s nice to see the offer being taken up! Btw - if you happen to be the perp and are reading this… or if you are reading this and know who the perpetrator is… do let me know… I’d like to give them a virtual high five :P
Um, so here are some installation photos for Swing II (and I’ve just realised I forgot to swing the swing, doh!!!)
...............................................
Oh, also, if you wanted to learn
more about the Turner/ Constable
beef… and a boatload of other
interesting art-related stories,
maybe give What Are You Looking
At by Will Gompertz a lil listen
(that’s where I first heard the
story… it’s a pretty awesome book
#justsayin).
Friday 08.07.20
05.08.20 // Beach O’Clock
I’ve escaped to the beach today.
It’s Wednesday (early afternoon), so not as bad as a weekend visit - if you time it right, get in and get out before the crowds rock up… you get to enjoy a bit of nature in peace! And let’s face it, we’re on the brink of lockdown round 2, so who knows when I’ll next get to sit by the seafront on the beach. I’ve missed the sea breeze and the smell of salty seawater. The temp is perfect today - the balance between the sun and
the breeze is perfect.
But that’s not what this is meant to be about, nope. I’m writing about Part II // The Conclusion… I thought I had decided to end the show with ‘Part II / Week IV (Always Hiring - Join Above)’ …but it didn’t feel quite right, a pit stop, yes, but not how this ends. So, I had to do something [ ] (swing/scales) is the question and Swing II is the reply.
Thinking back to where this install started.. well, now.. this is a proper flipping of the script. And it starts with one. And then like domino pieces, like the spark that ignites a lil somethin somethin, it all starts with something small… but then before you know it #boom! Small, simple and yet, significant. The conclusion is the beginning, you see. But then again, beginnings, middles, ends… these are just words that we have created and attached certain meanings to them. In this case, it’s shorthand for that most pesky of human constructs - time. But let’s save that mind fuck for another time (ha! Iknow…) …so, yes… the conclusion is the beginning. Nobody started out warring or sparring or
any of that. At the beginning (of being - in any way shape or form you want to think of this), we were too busy being in awe of the beauty of this world. But a lot of time has passed since our humbler and more simpler beginnings.
I suppose that maybe our red balloon in this install is sitting on the swing, meditating on the beauty of destruction, or maybe it’s more of an ugly frame of (self-?)destruction laying limp, lifeless and empty on the ground, and the balloon is taking a moment to ponder and reflect on how we might be able to do just a lil better next time.
…oh, and next time starts now (…ya know, fyi :P).
Sx
Contact Sheet
Tuesday 07.28.20
It was so nice just chillin with the lastest install… I was like a proper lil light magpie today. Just like with the last install and the install before that, I’ll be a little bit sad when it comes down :P
Here are some photos from today, I still need to edit the video footage. Looking at these, I’m now wishing that I selected different colours as these have strong ‘Green Giant’ sweetcorn vibes!!
Buuut anyways, I’m already thinking about how to do more light related
installs in the future! (whoop whoop)
Saturday 07.25.20
• Saturday 25th July 2020 // Fresh installation goes up for Part II Week III
• Thursday 30th July 2020 // Fresh installation goes up for Part II Week IV
• Saturday 1st August 2020 (2pm) // Artist Talk with Sonia Levesque
• Friday 7th August 2020 // Final day of the exhibition.
Activities
#1 In Conversation With Balloons
[ ]
(p.s: they too have feelings #justsayin)
Q// How is this going to go down? A// Roll up on one of the ‘activity dates’ listed below, pick a balloon - you’ll have 1 of 3 options:
1. Deep philosophical shizz balloon
2. Lust for life kinda balloon
3. Silence is golden vibes balloon
Pick a pew, have a chat (internally or externally) with your balloon* …and maybe leave feelin either wiser, happier or more content.
(* …no guarantees that your balloon will chat back :P)
#2 We Are The Masses (…of balloon breadcrumbs)
In a nutshell: Rock up, have a convo with a balloon (see above) and then create your very own balloon breadcrumb portrait.
#3 Artist Talk
Wanna see me squirm my way through a talk… then join me on Saturday 1st August 2020 at [ ]
#4 Various mini installs and will be created and dotted around.
…feel like helping me create some of these installs that’ll be poppin’ up?
Sweeeet – then keep an eye out on the socials, as I’m going to experiment with polls
on Twitter & IG!
If you can’t make it to the activity days, you
might still be able to see the main installation
on show, as the gallery is open from Tuesday
to Saturday from 11AM to 6PM.
Free entry + no need to prebook… just rock up
and play with some balloons!
THE LINE Contemporary Art Space:
Located in: Mercato Metropolitano
Address: 42 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6DR
March 19th 2020 - 7th August 2020
H&S
COVID-19 Protection Concept - The health
and safety of our staff and visitors are of
predominant importance to ITSLIQUID Group.
This Protection Concept governs how we
intend to operate after the lockdown has
ended, the rules that will be applied inside the
exhibition spaces and how these will be
implemented in practice. [ ]
FORMATION – Dark Clouds
Monday 07.20.20
Every time I roll up into The Line, it does really feel like I'm headed to water my art. Most people water their plants… I 'water' my art.
I usually go with some vague idea of what I'm trying to achieve, but there's always a bit of flex because sometimes the best ideas come on the fly. This weeks installation follows on from the original installation.
Our copper balloon is still hanging in the balance, at the mercy of the
threatening imposing sculpture (aka the only dick in the room :P), which
looms above its delicate sphere. It's attached… there's no respite, there's
nowhere for it to run off to, nor can it detach itself. It is stuck and helpless. Now, how's that for a metaphor on society and how it currently functions?
Every generation views the same 'tale as old as time' issues through their
unique generational lens. The sights aren't so different, but the way we
communicate with each other usually adapts to the current technologies of the time. Today we live in a virtual space, we share, we like, we pin, we
tweet.
Now there's a multitude of ways to read the current installation… perhaps some I haven't even thought of. I am a true believer in the idea that once [ ] imbalance of power has not gone unnoticed.
The one advantage we have over and above previous generations (which is both a gift and a curse), is that we have eyes everywhere. In our back pockets, on our wrists, in the skies, on our laptops. And although we may have been silent, it doesn't mean that we're not there, that we don't care. We are slowly but surely coming together, getting into formation. Planning, strategizing, and soon to be executing. It would be a mistake to rush in, just shine bright for a quick second, only to then disappear. We have no intention of being a lone firework. We will be an army of un-blow-outable candles shining into the depths of that long night, all the way into daybreak and then some. We won't fizzle out, making noise but no changes. Change takes time. It takes all of us. And that is what is happening here. We're getting into formation.
But then there's that cynical side that comes out to play and suggests that something else entirely is happening here… well, I suppose the principle remains the same… but as opposed to a formation for the prosecution, what we find hovering above our original installation are dark clouds coming to the aid of the defence.
…or is it the other way around? Maybe the defence/prosecution analogy isn't quite right.
I'm entirely unsure… I wonder what you'll make of it when you sit with this weeks installation.
12.07.20
As we roll up into week two of the extended Extended Body 2020 exhibition, I figured this would be an excellent time to discuss the idea behind the installation… it is a little like a living organism it's ever changing, mutating and evolving. In some ways, it almost most feels like [ ] The install for week one stayed true to the original concept. Although I was eager to make tweaks, I forced myself to pipe down for a while, because aside from myself and the gallery, no one had the opportunity to see the installation IRL although there was a lovely lockdown stylee opening evening - so people did have the opportunity to see it live online, which in some ways was rather unique, sort of like a bookmark for the beginning of the lockdown in London.
One of the personal policies I’ve developed along the way is to always have a
combination of silly & serious in my work. To that end, my participation in the Extended Body 2020 exhibition was meant to sit firmly in the 'silly' camp. At the start of the year, I created a new series of sculptures from cement titled 'distractions'. Yup, probably as silly as my doughnut idea… but this [ ] so to did the tone of my work… so theexhibition slid from silly to serious. And instead of poking fun at the juvenile and sometimes destructive nature of distractions, I wanted to turn my attention to that other subject that usually ends up occupying much of my mental bandwidth… injustice.
It's one of those things I wish I had no need to think about. And sometimes I like to make-believe that in a parallel universe, no one even knows what injustice is, because no such thing exists in their world. But alas, that's not the world we live in. And so, we must think about it, discuss it and acknowledge it - in hopes of nudging our way into a future where all forms of injustice is nothing but a bitter distant memory, a history lesson which is to never be repeated. I find myself continually debating, swinging between 'we need to change the world' to 'it's pointless, there's no use, humanity is
doomed'. On the odd occasion, I do find myself temporarily agreeing with the latter… but most of the time, I arrive at the following conclusion: sure, what we do might not make [ ] knowledge that the lack of positive forward movement wasn't down to my laziness or inaction.
There’s this slither of an idea, lodged somewhere in my head. I can’t remember where or when I came across this, but in a nutshell, the idea is (actually, it probably came from one of my audible books!!) that there are things that are beyond our control, and there’s little use in trying to change things outside of your sphere of influence. Sort of like doing a cost-benefit analysis… you can waste precious energy on areas where you’ll definitely see no return (in this case, we’re referring to the world seeing little to no return - no long-lasting positive change). Or you can take all that time and energy and pump it into your little tiny circle where you might just be able to make a tichy bit of difference…. and tichy is way better than nada. And almost like compound interest - your sphere is [ ] will most likely never be known to us… but it is our duty to try to flap those lovely wings of ours in a way which could contribute to something positive happening waaaay over there in some far away sphere… you might not know exactly what you need to do, but you’ll be able to feel if you’re on your way to helping fuel and exacerbate storms or sunsets.
The best bit? You get to decide what way you go.
(…that was meant to be a nutshell, lolz).
Sunday 07.05.20
Doors to The LINE London have cautiously re-opened. So, I popped down on Saturday to give my piece a bit of a refresh… and um, to play with balloons, and helium. Lots of helium and lots of balloons were floating around on Saturday!!
As the exhibition will be open till 7th August 2020, the plan is to have a
narrative running through my installation that’ll evolve throughout the coming weeks… so I’ll be popping by from time to time. The installation ‘CAUTION: May Pop Off @ Injustice’ incorporates a sculpture from my latest cement series 'Distractions' and is a meditation on, and a plea to stop the exploitation carried out by those who have power over those in society who are most vulnerable.
To that end, there’s a lovely sturdy bench to sit on, absorb all of the lovely art and ponder (but also, I’ve been told that people also use the tables and chair as an extension to the cafe Mercato Metropolitano downstairs (umm, which I still need to check out :P).. but how cool is that? A gallery where you can chill and spend quality time with art!?!? Anyways, here’s a few photos from Saturday. Also, a huge shout out to my balloon assistant, Stefani - that was just waaaay to much fun!!! :)
Thursday 03.26.20
THE EXTENDED BODY – MIXING CULTURES is an exhibition of
contemporary art, focused on the human body as a changing system
that connects us with other bodies and spaces to perceive the
surrounding reality; a strong communication system with its own
language and infinite ways of expression.
ITSLIQUID invited artists to analyze the hidden parts of our identities,
through an immersive experience inside the fascinating universe of the
complex labyrinths of our consciousness.
I headed down to THE LINE Contemporary Art Space on 17th March
2020 to install my artwork for the show and here's a lil BTS of my
putting it together... and yes, I often talk to myself …and omg, clearly I
need to find a more graceful way to chew gum! How have I spent my
entire life looking like this while chewing gum!?! Ha!
The installation incorporates a sculpture from my latest cement series
'Distractions' and is a meditation on, and a plea to stop the exploitation
carried out by those who have power over those in society who are
most vulnerable.
This BTS is a bit like watching paint dry… but then again, I wonder how
many people are - as I type this - watching paint dry!?!?! :)
#TakeYourWorkSeriouslyButDon’tTakeYourselfSeriously :P
Tuesday 03.24.20
We're living through interesting times and adapting in order to survive
and thrive - it's a time where we're physically under lockdown to help
contain the spread of COVID-19.
So far, we've seen streamed concerts, online remote parties, and a
multitude of funny virtual working ain’t workin stories. Galleries and
artists are also adapting to this new world we all find ourselves in. On
19th March 2020 ITSLIQUID streamed the launch of The Extended Body
via Facebook Live so that people can still get their dose of art, but from
the safety of their homes.
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THE EXTENDED BODY – MIXING CULTURES
ITSLIQUID International Art Exhibition.
