Vital Matters
Parasol Unit, London.
During our three day exploration we used the idea of field work and took inspiration from Julian Charrière’s work.
DAY 1
We worked along wharf road to take rubbings of all the grids and manholes we could find.
‘what is just beneath the surface, beneath our feet?
We brought our rubbings back to the gallery and overlaid images Julian Charrière’s artworks.
Collected rosemary and thyme from local gardens to make tea.
Created objects that where suspended in drains just outside the gallery.
‘What would you like to put under the ground, back in time?’
Objects included a miniature first aid kit, a stars wars spaceships, a rat, a phone, a bar of chocolate and weapons for a dwarf army.
DAY 2
Each of us observed and drew a mint plant. We drank mint tea made out of our plants leaves and labelled our drawings with specific information – time, location, date etc.
‘Can we preserve a moment by drawing it? what information can be include in a drawing: visual, touch, smell?’
We walked to the local park and planned our mint plants.
‘What effect will it have? Will you be able to bring your grandchildren to the ‘giant mint plant of Old street’!’
We investigated a subterranean passage way and imagined what lay beneath London.
We made minute drawings for the subterranean tunnel; skeletons, dolphins, dwarf army passageways, pipes, memories, bombs and signs to be found by future excavators.
DAY 3
We constructed our own urban exploration suits/pods. Using emergency blankets, tape and bits and bobs from around the workshop we devised and constructed items that helped each of use better survive and observe our locality.
‘How can a suit or tent help you observe things better?’
We worked at the park and made video blogs from inside our suits/pods.
We visited the location of a floating island in a local canal basin. Back at the gallery we constructed seed bombs using clay and specific seed varieties we felt would be useful when starting a new life on an island; carrot, cabbage, onion, marrow, meadow flowers, poppies and broccoli.
‘What would you need on your own ‘future island’?’
We set off to the floating island and threw our seed bombs. We observed the island and using printmaking and matchstick construction to plan our own future inhabitation of the island, including the fruits or our seeds and the structures we would build to live in.
Finally, we brought all of our work together in the project space.
Artists/explorers:
Trevina McFarlane
Tamira McFarlane
Eva Smith Guerra
Freya Nehill
Lenny Horrill
Bill Horrill
Jeremy Alling
Esme Nunnerley
Felix Nunnerley
Dylan Mann
Samson Riddihough
Sissili Cassidy
Isidora Howick
Sam Hewitt
Lead artist/expedition guide – Jack Brown
Project Co-ordinator – Lala Thorpe