Tower

During the construction of "Destruction", the Grenfell Tower fire occurred.  This attempt at housing and then improving the structure at lowest cost, led to a series of disastrous decisions. In short, cost won over safety.

This is my inadequate response to that disaster.

Tower (Urban Distopia 2) from above

"Tower" from the side

"Tower" from another side

Urban Distopia

Percolating away in my brain for some years has been a difficulty in finding a way of representing the destruction and violence at national levels.  At each stage something prevented me from continuing with any of the ideas.

Now after a visit to a conference, where there was some discussion about both techniques and expression, a new vein of thought and its possible expression began.  This is the first iteration of that thread of thought.  

Urban distopia is about the things that go wrong even when we - either as individuals or as a society - try to do the right things.  This first expression of the idea is based on the destruction being felt throughout the middle east.

Destruction (Urban Distopia 1)

The mirror is an attempt to reflect our responsibility for these things.  We are not just observers.  When we look at the destruction, we are reflected in it.  

Placed on a plinth at approximately eye level, the viewer is reflected amongst the destruction.

Headlands

Almost nine months ago while travelling through showers and sunny intervals, I came over the top of the hill from Berridale to see some of the bays surrounded by cliffs highlighted in the sun.  

I have since been doing a few experiments to try to represent the view. Now I have produced the first two of the Headlands series that I am happy with. 

HeadlandsI from the left

HeadlandsI from the front

HeadlandsI from the right

 The multiple processes of cutting, grinding, shaping and the kiln time used to realise these pieces are not the important elements, it is the attempt to give a feel of the place on a small scale.

HeadlandsII from the right

HeadlandsII from the left

I now need to decide which of these two is to be entered for an exhibition this Autumn.

A New Sculptural Piece

Although the past months have been a fallow time for me, I have at last completed one piece of work.  I am pleased with the result of the work leading to this.

I have titled this "Pregnant" as it was designed to reflect the shape of a pregnancy with its unknowable developments represented by the vacant, unformed part.  It is composed of a range of blues which interact creating the faint green lines in various locations.

Although it is difficult to represent, this piece curves in two directions, giving a dynamic flow to the work.  This image shows the piece from the right.

This image shows the curve from the left.

The whole is about 800mm high, and 300mm wide, and fixed to a mahogany base.