My overall practice is driven by my fascination with the illusory qualities inherent in cinema and early animation. Imagining myself as a cinema pioneer I explore the interplay between the moving and the still, creating works that sit between the pre-cinematic and the digital.
By discovering low-fi ways to add movement to single images and commonplace objects/materials, my intent is to ignite an element of wonder at the illusion of cinema, giving the everyday enough of a twist to allow the imagination to run free.
We live in a society where the material is being replaced by the immaterial. This has drawn me to use tangible everyday materials in my work that I juxtapose with the relative immateriality of video. Behind the scenes of my videos there are various hand-crafted mechanisms that drive them that are hand-operated/cranked.
In recent years I have made kinetic works for audience interaction that have been shown internationally including Turner Contemporary, Margate, U.K, 1shanthiroad, Bangalore, India and Basement 6, Shanghai, China.
'The Wagon' with Caraboo Projects for Artlicks Weekend: Independence
Exhibition at Standpoint, London, October 2019
For Art Licks Weekend: Interdependence, Caraboo Projects embarked on a 160 mile journey from Caraboo Projects in Bristol to London’s Standpoint gallery on foot. We were accompanied by a wagon that was collectively built. Together we journeyed, sharing the weight, testing and progressing our interdependence over 7 days in heavy rain.
We followed historic trade routes of the canals and rivers between Bristol and London, acknowledging their complex pasts, whilst exploring ways of creating supportive networks and infrastructures.
A record of encounters, exchanges and observations made on the journey were presented at Standpoint gallery.
We would like to sincerely thank the people who helped and supported us on our journey who accommodated us in whatever way they could. Without these acts of kindness our journey would not have been possible.
Weylan and Jasper from Nine Live Cycles for the Wagon’s wheels // Cameron Balloons, Bristol for the ripstop fabric which was used for the flag // James Merchant for patiently teaching us metalwork skills // Shape Studio, Bristol for the machinery and workshop to weld and create the Wagon // Nella Aarne and Sam Smith from Obsidian Coast, Bradford-on-Avon for taking in weary travellers and giving us a warm place to sleep and pizza on arrival // The Barge Inn, Honey Street and especially Dylan for allowing us to stay in lovely dry bell tents // Pete for explaining the many mysteries of crop circles // Ade Morris for giving us a place to sleep, eat, drink and sing in Newbury, and to Dylan and Louie Morris for their wonderful musical entertainment // Stuart, for carrying the Wagon and walkers on his narrow boat, Beanstalk, when we weren’t sure we could carry on (and for teaching us to operate locks) // Billie Bachra and Raj Bachra, for a warm place to sleep in Reading, and for a late-night trip to rescue the Wagon // Andy the lock-keeper for giving us space in his garden to camp overnight // Neil and Nancy, for a hot cup of tea on their barge // Clare and Sally and their dogs Nelly and Lyra for buying some weary travellers a drink on their way through Henley on Thames // Alex from The Oresman, Marlow for food and drinks // Hugo and The Complete Angler, Marlow for giving us space to camp // Sarah for encouraging us to go for a morning swim in the Thames, making us breakfast - and for rescuing our flag when it was lost.