The Umbilical Cord of the Dream

An intrinsic bodily experience, reduced to a video rather than the true experience of the installation. I am sceptical on the overemphasis of my works subject matter, as I would like the viewer to view the work through their own interpretation. The work consists of multiple layers, both physically and metaphorically, many meanings and assumptions can be hung on this piece. We return to the viewer. The piece ultimately acts as a mirror for the thoughts of the individual viewing it. What they think, the work becomes. Colour, weight, form and the fractured pieces of the body, become subject matters within itself.

The layers of colours and synthetic plaster act as the container of the soul. The colours of the figure, although mentioned earlier, do not hold skin- like features, it can be compared to interiors (our interiors)decayed interiors. Green, grey, red, white- the green, although all colours hold a variation of meanings, the green can be interlinked to hope, freedom- the colour of peace revolution and that of sickness, decay.

Grey similarly can hold a relation to sickness, decay and despair. The red colour of hands, one half of the rib cage, knee, and feet give the sculpture a fleshy impression- it makes it human, a bodily experience. To look deeper at the piece one can even discover small hairs to further associate it with the real human figure. This object could contain a soul as easily as we do. It is as intangible as dreams, and yet we acknowledge they exist. This comparison both evidences and returns me to the notion of the unknowable.The unknowable and mystery become key factors within this art work. These key factors are what I hope will provoke the audience to look deeper in the work, uncover the layers and engage with the space and piece. Thus, what can be called as “charging the installation”, charging it with meaning, value, significance, stories.

Furthermore, we ask why I have not yet spoken of the text on the walls, ambiguous and bold: “The umbilical cord of the dream”. The interpretation of death, violence and the unconscious can be made.

Taboo and the representation of the unrepresentable. The saying “tongue tied”, is imagined here in rope.

Though this work and phrase are very open to different interpretations. Through my work, I have been repetitively experimenting with the form of the umbilical cord through the use of rope and tubes.

Originally, this idea was born through the idea of unspeakable violence and taboo, hence the reference to tongues and silence. I have since questioned how one represents the unthinkable or unspeakable (the unrepresentable?). The mention of the rope was previously left open to a variation of interpretations, and still remains open. A further interpretation in link to my previous work can however be made: the rope of the tied tongue has de-assembled from the mouth and the human figure is fighting against this conception of silence. The silence is set free, free from the unconscious. The umbilical cord, rope, tongue, is free to dream, is free to breathe is free to speak.

The sound coming from the body can be further connected to the narrative. The sound is my own voice which has been altered through software to no longer sound as myself. It narrates poetry which I have written in debate of systemic silence, sculpture, time, dreams and justice. At times the sound is altered to the extent it becomes unknown what is being said. It returns to the unknowable and not-knowledge, further opening the installation for more interpretations to be made.

To be able to know comes with the association that we must be able to imagine. Allowing different associations and creating a sense of ambiguity is an important feature of the sculpture. Following the latest news, one could associate the colour and the fallen position of the statue with slave trader Finally, why have I chosen a white gallery space? Why have I chosen to place the sculpture on the floor?

The space of the gallery acts as a blank canvas. I have been thinking deeply of placing my sculpture in the outdoors, in a public space. Yet through experimentations of previous sculptures and installations in nature and outdoors, I came to the realisation that at times the outdoor world can distract form the installation. Although this at times is useful and allows for the merging of reality and art - at this stage I have chosen to use the gallery space to emphasise the piece rather than play with the invisibility of the work through outdoor exteriors. More description of why I have chosen to create this installation as I have: the sculpture is laying on the floor- the floor is the last element of the sculpture. The floor opens a time and space which can be animate in the viewers mind. The floor opens a possibility for a second world beneath: an embedded space. The work takes over the space in which it exists- a phenomenological experience. It adds a defamiliarising function to the “normality” of the body. It becomes the portal to the dream (in: the umbilical cord of the dream). Moving on to lighting- I have chosen to use 5 small spotlights to illuminate the sculpture and writing on the walls. I did not want my work to be illuminated by one light only and I wanted there to be both an atmosphere but also, I did not want to loose the detail of the work in darkness. Overemphasis through a spotlight, I personally, feel would reduce from the piece, as parts would disappear, go invisible in the darkness. The space is openthere is no formation for entering or exiting the space. This allows for a more open access- open- it again refers to the narrative of my hopes to leave my work open for interpretation and ambiguous. An invitation to hallucinate, an adventure of thought.

I hope the ambiguity of the piece leaves each of us open to interpret the installation in a unique way.

A consideration of any ethical concerns.

In regards to ethical concerns, no living being has been harmed during the process of making this piece.

The intention in making this sculpture and installation is to open dialogue in regards to ambiguous narratives. No certain narrative is dictated to the viewer. Links can be made to death, violence and taboo subjects- however this is entirely dependant on the mindset of the individual viewing the piece. Thus, taking us back to part 1, the description of this installation, and how the work acts as a mirror for the individual experiencing and viewing the piece. The work holds graphic visual components such as the human body and rope.