'A Determined Search beyond Romance'

Live Performance, 2010 (ACAVA Studios, London 15/4/10)
In this performance two young people explore intimate relations through affection, formality and style, producing a shifting action of touch and gesture which extends into increasingly process-based behaviour.

Skirting closeness the young man and woman make a series of often misapplied physical gestures and adopt postures reflecting cultural and filmic representations of romantic affection. With permission comes an increasingly abstract and animalistic series of interactions, as intimacy is caught between a frenzied and forensic ritual.

This project is conceived as reacting to its context of exhibition, the artist’s studio space in this instance becoming the location of an exploration of intimacy as cultural negotiation. The event took place on Thursday 15th April 2010 as part of a series of events organised by Matthew Noel-Tod and presented at ACAVA Studios, London. Matthew, myself, Maija Timonen and Tom Ackers all presented events that week.

Credits Special thanks to: Oliver Izod and Sarah Moss for their performance, Matthew Noel-Tod for his invitation, filming, photography and support, Tom Ackers and Maija Timonen for their help during the presentation.

'Complex Financial Instruments'

Solo Installation, 2008 (Way East Project Space, London - 22 - 31 May)
The installation explored the reflection of complex human subjectivities in the ordering of the built environment, considering the inscription of narratives of power and desire in the land. The representation of existing - often generic - areas of the built environment in the video footage contrasted with the recorded and live private decision-making around a future building of ambitious landmark proportions – this then extending into the absurd with increasing references to shared mythic belief systems.

The exhibition took place at Way East project space, located in Hackney Wick, London. Part One was a video projected in the neglected basement space. Part Two was a live performance in the upper space alongside a monitor showing the same video footage.


'Complex Financial Instruments (Part One)'
Single Screen Video, 2008

In the video footage of a progressive conversion of old farm buildings is inter-cut with images of corporate new builds, archaeological and degraded sites and natural states of the land. The soundtrack depicts a private business meeting debating the realisation of a fantasy landmark building project. The visual material – shifting between stills and self-consciously edited video - becomes problematically intertwined with the themes of the soundtrack as they extend into absurdity – seeking to raise questions about power, systems of belief and contemporary subjectivity.


'Complex Financial Instruments' – Part Two, Performance installation, 2008 – Duration 8 mins looped

The same video footage was shown looped on a monitor alongside which a live performance took place. This was an informal post-meeting chat conducted at a conversational level between two male actors - written as an extension of the conversation in Part One. The performance was unannounced and enacted as a continuously looped 8 minute conversation for 2 hours during the events on the 22nd and 31st of May.

Credits Performance by Andy Dowbiggin, Steven Clarke and Claire Hope.
With special thanks to Matthew Noel-Todd for photographing the performance and to Tom Ackers for his additional technical assistance, also to Russell Martin for his invitation to show work.