‘Outcast’ is a sculptural Installation that uses the form of a bed as a recognisable symbol to discuss how minimal a ‘home’ can be when needed. The use of scaffolding for the framework is intended to carry connotations of the temporal and possesses the pragmatic aesthetic of the industrial. It discusses the experience of the working class inside industry and more specifically the uncertainty of job security; in turn referencing the epidemic of the postal paradox (Byrne, 2018).
This structure stands as an immersive memorial for the exposed - using the effects of weathering on a lorry tarpaulin to represent the climate endurance of life on the streets whilst exploring ideas of control and ownership through using old marketing media. The reuse of old materials that have served their intended function inherently carries connotations of waste but also the hopes that come with the prospects of up-cycling. Creating a life size replica of a fully made double bed from these materials evokes another topic of discussion; the transportation of refugees; through the use of an appropriated lorry tarpaulin. Conveying the idea of intentional unity by having the duvet of the bed slightly pulled back, acts as an invitation to the viewer, homeless and refugees alike.
‘Outcast’ is a sculptural Installation that uses the form of a bed as a recognisable symbol to discuss how minimal a ‘home’ can be when needed. The use of scaffolding for the framework is intended to carry connotations of the temporal and possesses the pragmatic aesthetic of the industrial. It discusses the experience of the working class inside industry and more specifically the uncertainty of job security; in turn referencing the epidemic of the postal paradox (Byrne, 2018).
This structure stands as an immersive memorial for the exposed - using the effects of weathering on a lorry tarpaulin to represent the climate endurance of life on the streets whilst exploring ideas of control and ownership through using old marketing media. The reuse of old materials that have served their intended function inherently carries connotations of waste but also the hopes that come with the prospects of up-cycling. Creating a life size replica of a fully made double bed from these materials evokes another topic of discussion; the transportation of refugees; through the use of an appropriated lorry tarpaulin. Conveying the idea of intentional unity by having the duvet of the bed slightly pulled back, acts as an invitation to the viewer, homeless and refugees alike.
After You Vol.2 (2021)
‘After You Vol.2’ (2021) consists of two performers resuming their laboursome roles as our protagonists, isolated from the world inside a 6ft tall cube composed of 8 panes of acetate. They mimic the actions of window cleaners, working tirelessly to fulfil an incompletable task with an abundance of enthusiasm and drive for the endurance of the task at hand.
The use of the cube serves as a physical barrier between performer and viewer and refers to the workers as a caged animal at a zoo, exploring the boundaries between work and theatre through entertainment, amusement, and a commercial focus. This parallel is only deepened by the repetitive essence and cyclical orbiting inherent in the piece. Drawing attention to work as our existence, adjusting our body clocks to the needs of our job role and employers; taking priority over the sun.
Window cleaners move from window to window; “After You” (2020) operates in specified parameters, allowing for the output of the futile process to gather at the feet of the performers as a physical measurement of progression. Obvious in the performance is the notion of exaggerated emotional labour, through the embodiment of boisterous personas and mannerisms.
The performers put on a show where the visual aesthetic of synchronicity creates a contrast with the mundanity of work; cumulatively delivering an overwhelming sense of exhaustion within the satirical cycle. The cold nature and isolation of the working environment present translates as a farming of forced human labour, referencing the worker as the battery for the maintenance and development of society.