La Débâcle

La Débâcle was recently completed for ‘Entractes'8’ at the Eye Sees Gallery in Arles France

‘In order to prepare for Entractes8, I read W.H. Auden’s brief essay on Vincent Van Gogh’s letters. Like Auden, I was drawn to Vincent’s final letter to Theo, penned but never sent and discovered on his dying body after the tragic final suicide attempt.

During his time in Arles and whilst a resident of the yellow house, Vincent painted some of his most memorable and recognisable works. He had recently been visited by Gauguin and although their time spent together started well initially, it soon dissolved into argument and acrimony. Following the turmoil, he later wrote the now famous lines in the final letter to Theo about his paintings in which he stated:

'I tell you again that I’ll always consider that you’re something other than a simple dealer in Corots, that through my intermediacy you have your part in the very production of certain canvases, which will retain their calm even in the catastrophe.' Auvers-sur-Oise. 23 July, 1890

My débâcle collage alludes to this ‘moment’ and at its basis is the use of disrupted pattern to organise a constructivist-type dynamic. The collage presents a gridded arrangement of painted right-angled triangles posted directly onto the windows of The Eye Sees. It offers a slantwise focus on Van Gogh’s tumultuous struggle with painting and personal relationships during his time in Arles.

With its back to the gallery and facing outwards to the street, ‘La débâcle’ asks if at a time of international and environmental crisis, it might be possible for an artistic endeavour to provide a similar moment of lucidity, of relative clarity and of calm?’

It was a challenge to install as I wanted to remain true to the spirit of collage and paste each piece directly one at a time onto the doors of the gallery. Thanks to Olivier and David for their kindness forbearance and hospitality over the course of the weekend of the install.

Here’s the statement in French:

‘Afin de préparer Entractes8, j’ai lu le bref essai de W.H. Auden (poète anglais 1907-1973) sur les lettres de Vincent Van Gogh. Comme Auden, j’ai été attiré par la dernière lettre de Vincent à Théo, une lettre jamais envoyée et découverte sur son corps mourant après sa dernière et tragique tentative de suicide.

Durant son séjour à Arles et alors qu’il résidait dans la maison jaune, Vincent a peint certaines de ses œuvres les plus mémorables et les plus reconnaissables. Il venait de recevoir la visite de Gauguin et, bien que leur temps passé ensemble ait bien commencé, il a été rapidement remplacé par des disputes et des tensions. Suite à la tourmente, il écrivit plus tard les lignes désormais célèbres de la dernière lettre à Theo au sujet de ses peintures, dans lesquelles il déclarait:

"Je te le redis encore que je considérerai toujours que tu es autre chose qu'un simple marchand de Corot, que par mon intermédiaire, tu as ta part à la production même de certaines toiles, qui même dans la débâcle gardent leur calme." Auvers-sur-Oise, 23 juillet 1890

Mon collage, intitulé ‘La débâcle’ fait allusion à ce "moment". Son point de départ est un motif irrégulier qui crée une dynamique de type constructiviste. Il s’organise autour d’un arrangement quadrillé de triangles rectangles peints et collés directement sur la vitrine de The Eye Sees. Il fait référence de façon oblique à la lutte tumultueuse de Van Gogh avec la peinture et ses relations personnelles pendant son séjour à Arles.

‘La débâcle’, dos à la galerie et face à la rue, nous interroge: est-ce qu’en période de crise internationale et environnementale, un projet artistique pourrait peut-être fournir un moment similaire de lucidité, de clarté relative et de calme?’

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Images: 1 & 2. Preparing some of the triangles (drying them off) 3. View from behind 4. Contemplating the next stage 5. Finished

Border (2013) - Polyester Resin casts: Dimensions Variable

Crunchy Bran Sculpture (2013) - Cardboard Packaging: Dimensions variable

6 Day week: Newsprint registration (2013) - Dimensions variable

Guardian newsprint from Monday to Saturday

I bought the guardian for a week but didn't have time to read it during the work programme - shame on me - all the events and comment was therefore obscured with only the print registration marks visible. Sometimes we get involved in things and everything else passes us by.

Targets (2013) - Mixed Media: dimensions variable

Book (2013) - mixed materials

A selection of peripherals compiled and arranged in some sort of order. The collection encompasses a range of print registrations collected over an 18 month period.

Risers (2013) - York Stone, Perspex, Polyester Resin, Stainless steel and LED lights

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Sandy Island (2012)

New Caledonia WGS 84 19°13′12″S, 159°55′48″ E-19.22,159.93 - mixed materials

Sandy Island is a celebration of a place that was probably never there and an event that may never have occurred. On hearing about the discovery or rather 'non- discovery' of Sandy island in the news this autumn, I couldn't help but want to find out more about it. The identification of the island goes back to Captain Cook who charted it in 1774 and it has been subsequently transcribed in maps and nautical charts ever since. It had even become a feature of google maps until an Australian based surveying ship discovered that at the believed location the sea floor was never less than 4,300 feet lower than sea level! The island was also included in a British Admiralty chart in 1908 with a note about the source of its charting to a whaling ship called the Velocity in the year 1876. Apparently the ship's master had reported that there was a series of "heavy breakers" and some "Sandy Islets." Perhaps Sandy island is the new Cortes Bank, a place where you might find the worlds biggest waves when the weather conditions are just right!

Coming from a faith background and having always been intrigued by the way that written historical accounts have traditionally been copied down and passed on - along with any inherent transcription errors to future generations. The Sandy island story seemed to be an ironic modern day parallel to the way in which the act of recording or mapping combined with the element of time can sometimes produce unforeseen consequences. The fairly recent occurrence of an image of a crucified father christmas during the festive season in a Tokyo shopping centre is well documented.

In this incarnation, the island is roughly spherical rather than long and thin as Cook's cartographer had drawn. In this contemporary and, fairly playful take on a traditional nativity scene, most of the usual characters are missing. This time, there is just one solitary female figure surrounded by more gifts and accompanied by her new born, ‘the light of the world’.

And surrounding this pair is the cool blue/green suffuse glow of the Coral sea.

On the 26th November 2012 Google Maps removed all reference to Sandy Island and by the 29th of the same month the National Geographical Society had struck it off too. Please let us not let the memory of Sandy Island sink from our collective consciousness!!

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Casts (2012) - Coloured Polyester Resin: Dimensions variable

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Stock (2010) - Plaster and paint: Dimensions variable

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'A small structure built for declarations of one sort or another' (2009) - mixed materials

Declarations of one sort or another (2009)

“I set fire to my parents garage”

“I watched the cashier in Homebase make an error when paying for our bathroom suite. I didn’t say anything and consequently we got it for nothing!”

“I bought illegal drugs from my cousin”

“I put a stone in a snowball and threw it at my girlfriends Greek Mistress”

“I have been having paid sex with a male prostitute for 2 years. I love him but of course he doesn't love me. He is bankrupting me!”

“I cuckholded my husband. Oops, - Oh well.”

“I climbed over a police barrier near the seafront when they had one of those big New Years Eve celebrations. I’m glad I did as I dragged my friend (now dead) with me and we got down to a better place to see everything. Its good to have rebellious memories of adventures with people now gone”

“I often cross the road before the green man is displayed if no cars are coming. I never do it if a small child is waiting to cross with their parents, though”

“I came here a little bit drunk - sorry!”

“I put my head out of the window on the train (in the old days)”

“I have used drugs and been drunk and disorderly in public.

I dont like rules, regulations or laws. I'm a naughty boy”

“I lied under oath”

“My dad said I must not have a leather jacket. So I hid it in the outside loo and changed when I went out. I told him about 10 years ago which was some 25 years after and he was amazed and cross!”

“I can remember swimming with my dad when the red flag was flying - those reckless genes!”

“Kissing in an Italian church”

“I told an architect I was stuck in traffic, when in fact I was still at home in bed”

For more declarations and for more information about the exhibition 'Keep off the Grass' click here >>>>