The Chapel, 2019
The Chapel continues the artist's research into the archaeology of text, exploring linguistic imperialism and the blinkering effect of our reliance on words.
Barthes (2004) suggests that the existence of dualistic forms within a language creates the conditions for conflict.
In this work I ask: Is conflict encoded in our words?
Does a language based on lines and dualisms structure our experience of the world?
Does a focus and reliance on writing contribute to feelings of disconnect and loneliness, in an otherwise visceral and embodied world?
'The Chapel' is made from porcelain, a material whose ethereal qualities, difficulty of working and complexity of extracting from the earth have led to associations with European wealth, whiteness, and the Empire over time. In using porcelain in this work the artist explores the relationship between this materiality and the virus-like spread of the English language. Tactile objects are arranged in a code-like form, and lit to create linear shadows. The piece includes a glitchy sound work, which can be played using the button below. The viewer/participant finds themselves in a scene of worship. The air smells of burnt frankincense. Choral music is heard faintly. The feeling is one of an uneasy reverence: what is being worshipped here? Why?
