I was walking along the Sheringham seafront at sunrise yesterday morning when suddenly inspiration struck! Whilst walking the dog with my partner, a former fisherman, I asked him why there seems to be light and dark patches in the water close to the horizon… This is apparently because of the oceans depth. The darker areas show the water moving faster over the lumps and bumps of the seabed. It was when he said “it looks like the sea has just been cutout” that I had one of those lightbulb above the head moments…
A “cutout” in the sea lead to a literal “cutout” OF the sea. Since graduation I have had so many ideas that have simply remained in the form of a sketch or quick note on a napkin. However, I am especially keen on this idea and am now going to develop it more and work out some of the logistics. I would love to perhaps use photographs or paintings of the sea, horizon and sky to form an installation in a entire room. What gallery/studio will have enough white cube style space I do not know, but I envisage viewers standing in the doorway viewing the piece in front of them with the horizon being where the floor meets the wall. Literally bringing the seascape into the gallery, lifesize. I would also like to experiment with using a still film piece to project over the top of the installation that will change the time of day in the room and show sunrise to sunset in a shortened amount of time. It could be an entire cycle of the day’s seascape in a more manageable hours installation.
I am heading into Norwich tomorrow to meet a friend who studies photography so will begin the search for the ideal space to develop this idea. My studio in the spare room of the flat is just not big enough!
Sketches to follow soon…
I don’t think there’s any need to introduce myself, I have been blogging for a while now. For those who don’t know me have a look at my website (www.lauraball.co.uk). Sadly, my previous unedited blog took a sudden nose dive after I graduated and moved house to the eccentric little seaside town of Sheringham. Naturally, many things were lost in the big move and I got distracted from doing anything remotely to do with art. But now I am settled into a new job and new flat my work is beginning to pick up the pace again! Thank god! It is so frustrating having ideas and literally not having the time to carry them out, if anyone has any advice on how to juggle being an artist AND working full time it would be much appreciated. I swear to do everything I want to do I will have to cut sleep out of my life completely!
Anyway, after my degree show, a small spin off exhibition at The Greyladyes Art Foundation and an exhibition for Suffolk Showcase 2009 I have another exhibition coming up at The Millais Gallery, Southampton. It is called Channel and includes “New work by contemporary artists including Andrew Cross, Susan Collins, Laura Ball, Julian Germain, Dominique Rey, Peter Collis and Rosie Maguire.” I was very surprised to be in such high demand after the degree show but I cannot wait to get to see this new exhibition, curated by Les Buckingham. The private view opens tonight – eek!
For those of you who don’t know my work looks at the sea surrounding Britain and its influence over our daily lives. In 1957 my Great Grandfathers fishing boat was lost at sea with no evidence of what happened. It was thought he and his crew of 8 trawled a mine. However, no trace was ever found so this suspicion has never been confirmed. I am absolutely fascinated by things I have recovered whist on a trip on a Portsmouth fishing boat. There is a sense of sadness about them which brings up a longing within me that I can’t quite explain. Overall in my work I aim to show the true dangers of the sea and yet include its very mysterious and idyllic side.
I am beginning this new blog to talk about my works progress post graduation. At the beginning I found it difficult to find inspiration without the structure of being in a course with tutors to nudge things on but things are picking up now so writing a blog will help me work through ideas and thoughts… and get feedback to the work of course!
For now I have only one thought, when shall I go and see the new J M W Turner show at the Tate?! I simply have to see it, Turner is one of my key inspirations, his work is exquisite.
