Home is now

I am playing with the idea of my alternative statement ‘I walk’ being an audio piece, which I have uploaded here.

Following the suggestion from LCN mentor Levin Haegele I have been looking into foley effects. I want to bring the physicality of the discarded materials I work with into my audio and video pieces.

The crackling sound is the recording of a blue plastic bag being gently rustled. Plastic bags are often used by Foley artists to recreate the sound of a crackling fire.

I am experimenting with the tension between the reality of the rustling bag and the illusion of a fire.

I am also videoing and photographing trees in urban spaces through the filter of  plastic bags, which may become a backdrop to ‘I walk’.

I have decided to make an alternative artist statement.

This has come about through various discussions I have been having about the rules I make (and break) in my practice, regarding my use of discarded materials. It also came up in my first tutorial with LCN mentor Kathrin Böhm.

I imagine it will be either in the form of a text based video or an audio piece. As part of the programme I am developing my video editing skills.

Here is a draft :

I walk

amongst the discarded

across the pedestrian crossing, along the towpath, down the dog shit alley, to the top of the mountain.

and I collect,

one brown leaf, two crisp packets, three wet plastic bags, and four dandelions

I turn them inside out, stick them together, and sing

this is my landscape, these are my resources

shit. I used selloptape

and I didn’t forage for it

is sellotape made from plastic?

I invite you to the forest

nature, my home as a child

my refuge

connection

you are too busy (we all are) / it is not your refuge

I will invite you again tomorrow

we are always welcome. right?