Launch of She’d 2

The launch of She’d 2 happened on July 17th with an expected link to facebook live. Unfortunately the link was hacked and there is no record of the launch which is a little sad but could not be helped. I decided to put my introduction here.

For the first part of She’d, my work was a response and explored the confined situation. Once that was done, however, and some of the anxieies I felt had been released, I was able to think more freely.

It must be acknowledged that She’d 2 was difficult. I questioned everything I was doing in my practice to the point of rejection. Then, slowly and quietly, as if I was in the process of recovery, I started to do little things without any thoughts of the future such as taking photographs, looking and listening deeply to what was around me and making short recordings. The  acknowledgement of these difficulties and fears is part of an honesty and truthfulness I am cultivating that I hope will make my practice a better thing.

The works shown now are from my very close surroundings. They are not an escape from my environment but an embracing of it. Slow Flow is almost a meditation. It feels like silence as a feather that has fallen into the river, slowly makes its way according to unseen wind and currents. In contrast, in Fast Flow and the River series of photographs are a documentation of the River Soar on which I live. Everything is visible and audible as heavy rainfall was recorded both on and under the surface. The last piece, Early Birds is a minimalist composition with keyboard using early morning recordings of bird song as a basis.  The performative nature of this work creates a distinction with the observational aspects of the previous works.

From the creation of all these pieces, I sense that my practice has changed. It will have a greater openness and honesty about it. But also, it will be taken at a slower pace and become more thoughtful. I have become more thoughtful. This is a planning for the future has seemed impossible recently.