Ongoing/Current Projects
CREATIVE SCOTLAND AWARD 2005-2007
In brief: To research and develop a new work that utilises live internet data from natural sources, in particular seismic activity, and to use this to activate outputs such as sound and video within a gallery installation.
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| Research and Development Overview | Conferences, Courses, Lectures, Notes, etc. | |
From July 2005: begin research work for Creative Scotland Award project. Research of all main websites and organisations involved with earthquakes, volcanoes and seismic data collection. Develop links with people who can assist with information and technical aspects of the project. Research the context in which I want to locate the project, for example the art historical, theoretical, philosophical and cultural context. Develop ideas and approaches of how to interact with the data and explore possible forms of output. What is the most appropriate form for the work to take? What do I want to acheive with this project? How does it relate to dialogues taking place in other fields of study; for example in Ecological, Geographical, Earth Sciences, Environmental, Social Sciences as well as discources in contemporary art and developments in technology?
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Interesting symposium in Ayr titled 'GREENHOUSE BRITAIN - Losing Ground Gaining Wisdom' featuring Newton and Helen Mayer Harrison who have been creating ecology-related art since the early 70's. (The lecture was organised by the South Ayrshire Sustainability Forum and Manchester Metropolitan University and supported by Scottish Power Renewables). | |
| July 2006
Since proposing the project there has been a considerable shift in public awareness and media coverage of environmental and ecological issues. There is also more discussion and connection between art and ecology groups. That is a new and welcome context that I am also taking into account. This makes the project feel more timely and relevant and in terms of public reception, publicity and producing a publication, it will undoubtedly benefit the project. Development of software that will access sites that compile seismic data, organise this data and prepare it for use with interactive software - Bob Farrell in super-technologist role again.
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Short Course in Pure Data and Arduino at Fire Station Artists Studios in Dublin. This was an immersive course...a lot of information in a new language, for me, but a good overview of what can be done with this free software and a good introduction to a useful new tool. | |
October 2006: Interim Report leading to Production Stage I am happy with research and development stage progress, even though this has taken longer than expected... working within a field of knowledge and experience that is unfamiliar to me has been very interesting yet at times frustrating. Things can seem slightly out of reach and I often have had to rely on other people in order to progress. However I have established a good support network in terms of technology specialists as well as with scientists/seismologists at Glasgow University. The University connection has helped in terms of being able to access information and knowledge in a more direct way than from books and the Internet, although I am still constantly amazed at what can be found on the Net. Additionally, this period of time has been very good for researching and reading about art and landscape, and more recently about art and ecology, which I feel has enabled me to contextualise this new work within a wider contemporary discourse. |
On 11th/12th December 2006 I will be attending a conference in London organised by the RSA. It is part of their Art & Ecology series and is titled 'No Way Back?' (coincidentally this is the same title, but without the questionmark, that myself and two other artists came up with for a project in 1994) | |
Selected Press announcements of Awards: http://www.scottisharts.org.uk/1/latestnews/1001807.aspx http://www.creativescotland.org.uk/ http://www.hi-arts.co.uk/Default.aspx.LocID-hianewknt.RefLocID-hiacfy00d.Lang-EN.htm http://www.sundayherald.com/48212
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VIDEO-ZEN: Orkney Isles (Off North Coast of Scotland) 2004 |
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In August 2004 I travelled to the Orkney Islands, off the north coast of Scotland. The purpose of my trip was to record my journey on videotape, together with a spoken message, I would then seal the videotapes in watertight, buoyant containers and arrange for them to be dropped at sea off three seperate Orkney islands. This was an extension of a similar small project that I undertook whilst 'SAC artist in residence' for a year in Australia where I dropped a 'confession on videotape' at sea off the south coast of Tasmania in 1997 (still to be found). Documentation of that project was contained within the group show 'TGOZ - new work by recipients of an SAC Australian Residency Award'. This exhibition was curated for the Scottish Arts Council's Travelling Gallery bus for its Autumn tour of rural and remote towns of Scotland. My journey to Orkney coincided with the Travelling Gallery's tour of the islands. |
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Each videotape package contains my contact details. When, or if, the tapes are found I have asked each person to contact me by email or postcard. My intention is to travel to wherever the tapes were found and to continue my documentary film. This is a film that relies on chance, random opprtunities and unknown journeys for its success (or failure). AS OF NOVEMBER 2006 NO TAPES REPORTED AS FOUND. |
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Three videotapes (vacuum sealed at the local seafood shop), prior to being packaged in polystyrene/acrylic/wood containers (as above). These tapes were flown by helicopter to the island of St. Kilda where they were dropped at sea on three different days. The three tapes have all been found washed up on beaches on the Outer Hebrides. Please check back for details of exact locations and dates of each drop and each find. |
'DOPPELGANGERS and other shifts in perception' |
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Click here to access a transcript of slide-monologue piece created in Australia |
