Collapse evaluation

Having the opportunity to be a part of this amazing student exhibition, I wanted to create a specific piece which would fit into a white walled space, an installation that would work within it and give it life. I didn’t want to exhibit something that wouldn’t relate to the space, and also to my practice of distorting landscapes. Working with a white cubed space, it was difficult thinking of something that could be viewed without the idea of the prestigious gallery in the back of the viewer’s mind.

The idea of ‘Collapse’ carried on from my previous installation, ‘Meltdown’. Although both installations are different, 'Meltdown’ was my first installation piece which I created using the idea of distorting a part of the exhibition site. 'Meltdown’ was very successful, the melting installation worked well within the underground car park. It helped that the exhibition space was like an installation itself as it was a unique space to put work in. Therefore, the difference between 'Collapse’ and 'Meltdown’ is that 'Meltdown’ was entirely site-specific in the fact it worked within that environment. The car park space doesn’t have any formalities that a white cubed space does, so you experience the space in a totally different way, a sort of adventurous way, discovering this car park with these pieces of art in it. Whereas, the Artsway gallery has all the formalities and background that you expect and understand when entering a gallery space ready to interpret art.

And that was, and still is, my problem and failure with exhibiting 'Collapse’ within a white cubed space. Even though 'Open Bracket’ was a successful exhibition, the art worked well altogether, and 'Collapse’ did work, it had the hook that drew everyone in to have a look, but it didn’t hold any meaning within the space. The mindset of the gallery couldn’t allow the viewer to interpret this installation as an extreme situation or anything remotely real. I know if I place this installation within a house or a barn it would have a more developed meaning and interpretation. It would seem more real, more inhabitable which would then hold the viewer and give them a fuller understanding and experience of the piece.