“Silicon is the eighth most common element in the universe by mass, but very rarely occurs as the pure element in the Earth’s crust. It is most widely distributed in dusts, sands, planetoids, and planets as various forms of silicon […]
“It’s life Jim – but not as we know it!” may be a famous mis-quote from the TV series Star Trek in an episode[1] of the sci-fi drama which explored the existence of a previously unknown life form. The story […]
To start with it seemed to me that in this complex world, my rock was literally a solid base on which I could anchor my thoughts – as Richard Dawkins says: “In the beginning was simplicity”; before anything else existed […]
“Animism is the belief that objects, places and creatures all possess a spirit or soul. Believers in animism potentially perceive all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human handiwork and perhaps even words—as animated and alive.” It is said to […]
So I freely admit, I seemed to have become a bit fixated on my rock for all those years. I had clung to it through thick and thin, couldn’t seem to get it out of my mind. It had become […]
“Chemists have tried to imitate the chemical conditions of the young earth. They have put these simple substances in a flask (water, methane, ammonia, and hydrogen) and supplied a source of energy such as ultraviolet light or electric sparks. After a few weeks […]
Richard Dawkins in The Selfish Gene[1] describes how he thinks life began on earth: “In the beginning was simplicity… Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is satisfying because it shows us a way in which simplicity could change into […]
Cont’d from last time: “Sadly my frog is definitely, permanently dead.” But maybe my rock is not dead – it just appears to have no life. Some years ago I visited artist Andy Holden’s exhibition, Laws of Motion in a […]
A hazy blue stillness. Nothing moves. Until a sudden ripple disturbs the soupy water, stirs the suspended particles. Powerful legs propel the creature through the water and paddle madly as the alarmed frog attempts to secrete itself in a dark […]
In the coronavirus age when, we learn, a virus is neither dead nor alive; when scientists can create and manipulate biological life, technology creates artificial life, and inanimate objects often appear to take on a life of their own, the question is, “What is Life”?
I’m back in the studio this week after two months of domestic distractions, travel and other work, so going back to my August blog is a great way to re-ground myself and pick up the threads from where I was […]
Every now and then the generous people at Martyr’s Gallery in Lewes offer an opportunity for an artist to take over their space for one of those very special, no-expectations, no-strings-attached developmental residencies. Their version of this amazing gift is […]
This week I’ve been leaving a bit of time to reflect on the experiments with materials I started last week and have re-focused on drawing while I let things develop. One of my aims for this year is to move […]
I sort of feel as if I should be making more effort to save the planet. I’ve been thinking about it in my work for quite a while – how to use more environmentally methods and materials – but actually there […]
3.30pm One of the things that I made a considered decision about during the Once In A Universe project was that I would embrace the use of the materials of the Anthropocene – silicone, plastics and batteries being the main […]
Even after all these years I still feel that every time I make a piece of work or undertake another project, I learn something new… about myself, about my practice, about the way I make my work. Now at the […]
Glancing back at my “Day 1” blog post, it was strange to see the beginnings of my plan for the Once In A Universe residency and compare it with this much more developed section of the plan which eventually acted as a […]
Really enjoying developing this work which, although grounded in my research around science, technology, evolution and change in the Anthropocene, now begins to take on a life of its own – both physically and metaphorically. Today’s progess: 2 x Letraset drawings (here’s […]
Here we go! The culmination of my year long development project, Once In A Universe, begins here. It’s the start of a two week residency at the Devonshire Collective’s DC1 Gallery. I’ll be working in the space every day and […]
It’s so useful to have a positive exhibition deadline to work towards. It provides that crucial impetus which forces decisions that might otherwise rumble along for ages. Suddenly it is possible to visualise the work in position in the gallery and […]
In February it was great to work with artist Claire Shoosmith to run our first workshops for the Once In A Universe project (aka OIAU in shorthand!) at Eastbourne Studio Pottery, part of the Devonshire Collective in Eastbourne. I wanted to plan […]
Well here we are. More than two months into the new year and nearly six weeks since my project launched. It’s been busy and varied – always a good thing, and now I’ve reached a natural pause where I can […]
