In 2017 I had the fortune and privilege of working with Hong Kong based artist Samson Young as part of the Manchester International Festival & Jerwood Arts Fellowship. I got to spend around two weeks with Samson as he explored narratives around ancient migration from China and brought them to life through a series of dramatic radio performances and a multi-dimensional installation, both of which I was invited to contribute to through playing drums and a commissioned photographic print.
Observing and collaborating with Samson taught me many things, namely what a multi-talented creative genius he was, but the thing that has stuck with me was the notion that there is more than one way to explore an idea. Through his abilities to exploit different media, he was able to portray the narrative and concept through a multitude of physical and sensory experiences for the audience to engage with.
This is an idea that I have tried to carry through into my own artistic practice, stopping myself from assuming that the answer to any project conception was to simply go and photograph it, and to consider whether there might be a more appropriate medium to explore and present the idea.
This way of thinking led to the development of my project Taking Time, weekly editorials from writers about the concept of time, which went on to inspire my books ‘Dear Kairos’ and ‘Dear Kronos’. It has also influenced the ways in which I have tried to engage audiences through the exhibitions of Loved&Lost.
Part of this process has involved me acknowledging to myself that we are allowed to be inconsistent. Our social worlds, both physically and online, want us to be easily definable. When we meet for the first time we ask each other what we do for a living in order to understand who they are and subconsciously categorise them into the type of person who does that type of work. Online, we are encouraged to present consistent versions of ourselves that don’t waver or deviate from what people might expect of us. We build a language through words and images to show what we might feel is a true, yet highly curated, picture of who we are that doesn’t include all the messiness and inconsistencies of life.
Creatively, I know that I would be far easier to commission if my output had a more consistent visual language, and as an artist I want to explore an idea based on its own merits, which is leading me towards collaborations with other artists and craftspeople in order to bring the work to life.
To that end, for the first time this year, I’ve felt ready to create a physical piece of work outside of my usual world of books and exhibitions. So I am very glad to present ‘There Is A Time For Everything’, a sculpture created from Lakeland slate, to be viewed cyclically as an allusion to eternity and the time we afford one another. Inspired by my sister Jess, one of her favourite songs and her generous heart.
The sculpture is an edition of 10, available through my website, as well as a photographic art print (below) of the work photographed in the nearby River Itchen, an edition of 50. Find out more about the sculpture and the art print here.
‘There Is A Time For Everything’ - Sculpture
Dark Lakeland slate from Burlington Quarry
Unpainted V-cut lettering
Riven natural surface (sealed) with smooth honed edges
30cm (approx. diameter) x 3cm (approx. Depth)
Edition of 10
‘There Is A Time For Everything’ - A3 Photographic Art Print
Photographed in the River Itchen, Hampshire
A3 (29.7 cm x 42 cm / 11.7 in x 16.5 in)
Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308gsm Archival Art Paper
Edition of 50