Inflatable INF17

INF17 is the second of my sculptures to premiere at the Chelsea Physic Garden, and bears unintentional passing resemblance to the flowers of the 'bleeding heart' or Dicentra Spectabilis.

INF17

Inflatable INF16

The 10th of July sees the premiere of two new inflatables INF16 and INF17 at the Chelsea Physic Garden in London as part of the exhibition Pertaining To Things Natural. The show runs until the end of October at a truly amazing venue. Given the botanical excellence of the specimens present it seemed fitting in some way to refer to them, if only generically.

INF16

The sculptures’ geometry and movement is partially defined by the elements, in particular the wind. Itself the result of differing air pressures due to the earth’s movement and the thermal consequences of the sun’s energy. INF16 and INF17’s otherworldly qualities are driven by these cosmic occurrences, whereas their underlying form is indicative of grow and growths; with buds of unknown origin or outcome seemingly coming to fruition. A struggle mirrored by the protrusions kinetic fighting and pulmonary inflation and deflation. Lurking in-between is a sexual dynamic, and a somewhat ambiguous male/female physiology; possibly tempered by the more erotic sensibility of their floral aspects. Yet, all flowers are sexual; and more to the point, most flowers are better than most sculptures!

Inflatable INF15

Not the best weather for installing yesterday, but having finally completed my new breathing inflatable INF15 for the exhibition Flora and Fauna at Burghley Sculpture Garden, time was pressing.

The piece cyclically inflates and deflates, and it is intriguing that in the deflate cycle the bulbous ends collaps in on themselves along the main seam to resemble shells. An interesting thing about the work in situ, is the drama that unfolds when the wind gets up, as each of the tendrils attempts to gain ascendancy over the others. A dynamic ballet cum struggle between the seemingly animate forms occurs. The sculpture is a bit of a departure when compared to the outdoor inflatables made to date, which have tended to be singular forms, whereas this piece is more divergent and plural. Something to be furthered; probably with the piece I’m thinking about for a forthcoming show at Chelsea Physic Garden in London during the summer. Below is the statement I have written about this piece for the exhibition catalogue.

Statement

The sculpture’s geometry and movement is partially defined by the elements, in particular the wind. Itself the result of differing air pressures due to the earth’s movement and the thermal consequences of the sun’s energy. INF15’s otherworldly qualities are driven by these cosmic occurrences, whereas its underlying form is indicative of grow and growths; with buds of unknown origin or outcome seemingly coming to fruition. A struggle mirrored by the protrusions kinetic fighting.