Exhibition space as extended studio..

I will attempt to relate particular elements of my work to each space and I think this is particularly paramount as a sculptor. Carl Andre described the evolution of sculpture as a change of interest from ‘sculpture as form’ to ‘sculpture as structure’ and finally ‘sculpture as place’ (Serota, 33: 1996). With Andre’s floor works, he engages with and invades the space of the viewer. One particular work of mine has associatios of a run-down shop display, this responds the previous function of the Cowgate space as an abandoned shop as well as the area historically being one of Edinburgh’s poorest.


For my work, each space has become an extended studio for the degree show work. This prompts an additional element to our curatorial decisions as the more organic, in-situ aspects of my work are intuitive and unpredictable and alternate the balance with the other artists in their role as curators for the show. In this work, the ‘accidental look’ is important, I want to express something temporary, fleeting, crude and improvised, something hearty with life as opposed to statuesque. Therefore, final touches of the work in both spaces will be added the day before the show opens. These materials will have a direct engagement with the space as they will have a sense in which the work has evidence of an earlier performance/action and will result in the work beginning its riddle from the floor up as well as being rooted to that specific space, never to be replicated in the same way. This method of working is common in contemporary art as Nicholas Serota writes: ‘The gallery or museum has become a studio, promoting a significant change in the conventional relationship between the artist, the work of art and curator (Serota, 1996: 34)’. An important example of an artist working in this way is Richard Serra with his piece ‘Splashing’, shown above. In my work, studio workings and the final gallery pieces are all made with the same attitude. Working in this way has its concerns as I am aware of potentially disturbing the other artists work during my making of the piece, in general my work is quite messy/smelly to make. It might affect their decision on when to hang their work if they were worried about any possibility of their work being contaminated. It also means the display of that particular work is permanent to that place and other curatorial alterations cannot be made after that point.