Out of Sight - Wilkinson’s Car park, Bournemouth

17/09/11-24/09/11

"This September forty art students from the Arts University College at Bournemouth cordially invite you to an eclectic and bold exhibition in reaction to the alternative exhibition space, exploring the relationship between contemporary art and its setting.

With an unused underground car park as its gallery walls, Out of Sight investigates the resilience and flexibility of art, and the need for its development with supporting communities in unorthodox circumstances: an appreciation for the otherwise overlooked in the chosen location, compliments the political provocation of the role of
the outsider in society and rebellion against industry precepts.

Through the playful, the satirical, the surreal, or the subversive, this multi-disciplinary collaborative project commits to an ideology of accessible, sensory and contextually harmonious creativity in today’s society."

Having the opportunity to be a part of this amazing exhibition, I wanted to create a specific piece which would fit into the space I had, but also work within it and give it life. I didn’t want to exhibit something that wouldn’t relate to the space, as I felt it would appear out of place, and have less of a flowing feel to it. I also aimed to create a piece of work that related to my practice, the car park was an ideal place to do this. It was such a unique and exciting place to work with; the car park is an installation within itself and provided the ideal installation setting for ‘Meltdown’.

The idea of 'Meltdown’ developed through my work of distorting a hidden landscape within my paintings. I wanted to apply this process of distortion to the car park and its surroundings. My idea became materialised during the London riots, which had a great effect on me and what I am currently studying within my practice. I am looking at the idea of utopia, and how it is unachievable in our vast technology based society today with its vast varieties of people and their individual versions of utopia. This topic also links us to the notion of dystopia, and thus the idea of our society collapsing within the London riots. 'Meltdown’ became my expression on this theme, representing the breakdown of society in the form of the car park melting.