Friday 25 July 2014

"Go Ape - go what, go where? "

Working Perspectives

Zip wires and a few other propositions.

So, it was finally revealed which host I was to be given as Artist in residence. Myself and 11 other artists/ makers from Crossing Borders as part of Peebles Creative Place 2014 have been set the challenge of spending time with a variety of different businesses and are expected to come up with some work based on our encounters. 

I was allocated - Go Ape! Having met the manager Iain Ronaldson, I immediately  felt this is going to be ok especially after Iain was talking about the sound of each of the Zip wires - very conceptual. It was arranged that I would 'experience' the site and in this regard I deliberately avoided finding anything else out beforehand. I wanted it to be without preconception, which is just as well, if I had found out, I would have been fairly bricking myself!! I was not expecting the challenges that lay ahead and the psychological effect. For a start, I was with my son Callum and hey, did I want to lose face?                         No. 
What if? This was going through my head a lot, you really are put in a place where lots of thoughts whizz through your head including, "shiiiiite this is really high!" and other such vocalisations that disguise fear and ultimately, elation!

So, to work. 
I have made a number of pieces using sound, photography, painting & drawing.
Some fairly straightforward and obvious - Observational and some drawing on internal experience - Innate.








w124cm x h100cm                  Platform



w91cm x h85cm             Layout



w106 x h60cm                    Leap of Faith



Glentress Zip 7

Glentress Zip 6

Glentress Zip 5

Glentress Zip 4

Glentress Zip 3

Glentress Zip 2

Glentress Zip 1

Zip wire drawings w82cm x h136cm








Along with this great opportunity I am currently showing work alongside colleague Siobhan & others at:








 More new works that continue to explore translucency & colour placement - same rules apply. Still finding things out - still questioning - still searching.