Outpost 1 - Limited Edition 1 of 25 Photograph

Outpost is an installation located just outside Glastonbury on the Somerset Levels. When I was given the opportunity to create an installation on the Somerset levels the image of a watchtower came immediately to mind. The thought of rising above the flatness of the landscape and observing the surrounding area was very appealing. Watchtowers hold a fascination for me and have appeared in my work before, albeit in a scaled down, model form. I like the inherent contradiction in its purpose – the sense of power through surveillance contrasted with its inhabitant’s isolation and loneliness. Perched on scaffolding stilts the main body of the installation is made from a timber frame and clad in reclaimed corrugated metal sheeting – a material used widely in the local area. I wanted this surface to be a form of camouflage that blends in with the industrial architecture close by - encouraging the viewer to happen across the artwork, drawn in by its ambiguous strangeness, rather than be confronted by an obvious sculptural statement. At first glance the structure could be mistaken for a building with some agricultural purpose; a storage silo perhaps, or a water tower. But on closer inspection I wanted the sculptural qualities to become evident with the referencing of modernist design and in particular brutalist architecture – a movement I much admire for its monumental forms and artistic integrity. The structure also draws upon the industrial landscape photographs of Bernd and Hilla Becher, whose images transform utilitarian buildings into unique sculptural objects. As with my previous architecturally inspired sculptures, I decided not to include windows in the structure, preferring to create a sense of intrigue and slight unease at the thought of what happens within. The artwork is accessed by ladder from below leading the viewer into a small dark room, lit only by narrow slits in the roof illuminating a sculpture of a watchtower on the boarded floor beneath. I wanted this experience to be like visiting the mind of the artist and seeing the original idea within. Entering the installation extracts the viewer from the expansive landscape outside into a dark, meditative interior, switching focus from the natural world to the imaginative possibilities of a gallery inside a sculpture.

Photography:Digital on Paper

Artist Produced Limited Edition of:1

Size:27.5 W x 19.8 H x 0.1 D in

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