Rona Innes

Matt Page has made a great 25 min documentary about ‘Dream Home’ exhib which closed yesterday (part of the Brighton Arts Festival directed by Brian Eno). The video features interviews with the artists and an insight into the inspirations, dreams and different atmospheres of the ‘rooms’

http://vimeo.com/11989593

Brighton based artist Daniel Yáñez González-Irún has incorporated photos of my motorised shadow puppet from the ‘Dream Home’ exhibition into his image, which you can see below. I love collaborating on stuff so give me a shout if you want to do anything!

Image by Daniel Yáñez González-Irún

Mildew, condensation and dirt were painted onto the French Grey walls to create an atmosphere of damp and decay. In the absence of the occupant the ever present flora and fauna, which are normally kept at bay have made it their dream home. Behind the shower curtain is an animated motorised puppet which cast shadows while showering to the upbeat rockabilly music playing on the radio. An animated suspended hair sculpture also cast dim shadows across the wall under the dim glow of a nightlight. Below are some photos and the blurb:

The voyeuristic act of entering a dimly lit shower room through a closed door from the rest of the Dream Home may initially unsettle the viewer by blurring the boundaries between personal and public space. In contrast to the surrounding joyful house, the shower room has a creepy, neglected atmosphere but feelings of discomfort are juxtaposed with a non-threatening shadowy character glimpsed behind the shower curtain animated to upbeat rockabilly music playing on the radio.

There is a sense that the room has not been attended to for a while…have the insects and ‘organisms’ made it their dream home in the absence of the occupant? Discarded hair and other matter seems to have collected and evolved into entities that are present and in some cases moving around!

The collection of belongings and clothes in the space suggests a parallel story of home comforts. The weary inhabitant appears to have returned home from a long expedition to further his eclectic possessions to find everything has changed in his absence, but is now back home enjoying the luxury of a hot shower!

rotating hair sculpture

soaps and slugs

the unseen puppet behind the shower curtain

shower curtain

entrance

outside the room

hair and slugs

the back wall

hair drawings

tacca

radio

slug

moth

shadow

masks

wall close up

hair drawing

radio arial

tacca

mushrooms

fly paper detail

hairy balls

Dream Home exhibition at Phoenix Brighton is open to the public and runs until 6th June 2010. The private view was well attended and many positive comments were left in the visitors book. Below are some photographs of my installation ‘Belongings’ along with the description of the piece:

‘Belongings’ is a response to the amassed collection of personal items which move from place to place, transforming each new location into a home.

The assembled boxes and their familiar contents may initially evoke a sense of homeliness through the ‘hand-me-down’ items and matching colours, but any comfort is questioned by the suggestion of them being packed away or perhaps unpacked, the framed pictures left lying against the wall.

Generations of imaginary people populate the photographs, born out of swapping and transforming facial features from nine random anonymous people from the internet, which allowed shared ‘family’ characteristics. Clothes and backgrounds were altered to suit each new personality.

Landscape photographs hint at the travels of the family but actually reference the origin of the packing boxes themselves and the belongings.

The ‘personal’ belongings were randomly purchased from anonymous sellers in charity shops or eBay, their original owners and context unknown. These items then became the starting point for an imagined history and identity for the fantasy family.

whole installation view

installation view

family photographs

detail

detail

detail

The Icelandic volcano is still spewing ash so my flight has been cancelled! I had to buy extortionate train tickets and am due to arrive tomorrow at 1.00pm. Here are some photos of items I have made recently, I hope it all works together!

moth

mushroom fascinator

tacca-outside

tacca as fascinator

tacca close up

shrooms

ribs

cloth mask

moth outside

Creating artwork for the show has taken over lately so I haven’t had the time to blog about it – tsk! I’m due to fly to Gatwick on Tuesday but currently all flights from Scotland are delayed due to drifting ash from an erupting volcano in Iceland! Below are some photographic details of work, some proper documentation to follow…

slugs on laptop

slugs on keyboard

slugs

slugs close up

hairy baws

baws in garden

frying baws

dinner baws

chopstick baws

puppet arm

puppet hand

glove

puppet heid

heid smile

pantry boxes

pantry boxes

dead flies on banana

I have given the boxes a vintage feel to make them seem aged and well travelled. Below is an image of some early experiments:

vintage feel boxes

The box installation considers how we turn a house into a ‘home’ through the movement of personal objects from place to place. It also references the displacement of people and the limited items they are able to carry, items of personal importance or hand-me-downs, which are transported to a new location and offer a sense of security, memory or belonging.

sketch of box installation

Brighton May Arts Festival is fast approaching and I’m working on my two installations for the ‘Dream Home’ exhibition at Phoenix.

I have revised the shower installation theme and have also altered the design of my space so it will no be enclosed with a ceiling.

BOXES: The ‘boxes’ piece considers how we turn a house into a ‘home’
through the movement of personal belongings from place to place and
also references the displacement of people and the limited belongings
they are able to carry, items of personal importance.

The ’shower’ installation has evolved to focus more on a  specific character who we stumble across in the shower room and  glimpse as moving shadows through the shower curtain, an uncomfortable  and voyeuristic act. The dirty space has a dark and mysterious edge  hinting at a narrative and evoking a range emotions associated with  showering and the need to cleanse oneself…the washing away of
evidence or cleaning up after a specific act or period of strenuous  work.

rough sketch of new installation