Artist's statement: "Alarming signs are visible of the years of damage by which humankind has steadily weakened all life on the planet. Short-sighted, selfish commercial developers, the doyens of modern progress, persist in converting vital, finite resources into goods of doubtful value, at an insane rate.
As consumers, we ape their lack of humility: a self-perpetuating political con-trick which maintains the differentials and perogatives of separate economic classes affects practically all areas of all our lives. Our spirituality has been stolen by simplistic theorists from all areas of the political spectrum. It is sold back to us as sentimental nostalgia and bogus religions bearing little of an enriching nature back into life.
'Harvest Festival' is a five tape, ten screen video installation, incorporating six channel sound and slide projection. The video tapes in this installation, and the single screen work 'Common Knowledge', are drawn from a body of images and sounds gathered throughout 1987 and 1988. Post-production took place at Sheffield Independent Film Ltd. The video images have been left largely untampered with after recording, and the soundtracks combine field recordings, including some on-camera sound, and original music played on instruments built and played by the artist.
In making 'Harvest Festival' I have come to regard inherited wisdom as a powerful means of self-definition, and of resistance to the narrow 'education' we are 'guided' through for political and economic ends. The works attach values other than the physical and the economic to materials, actions and living things. . . Although an 'ecological' reading is possible, the primary concern is to reinforce a spiritual view of life and work. This may be seen as part of the process which can bring a more ecologically sensitive and far-sighted politics."
Video Positive Commission.
New Commission.
[LESS]Artist's statement: "Alarming signs are visible of the years of damage by which humankind has steadily weakened all life on the planet. Short-sighted, selfish commercial developers, the doyens of modern progress, persist in converting vital, finite resources into goods of doubtful value, at an insane rate.
As consumers, we ape their lack of humility: a self-perpetuating political con-trick which maintains the differentials and perogatives of separate economic classes affects practically all areas of all our lives. Our spirituality has been stolen by simplistic theorists from all areas of the political spectrum. It is sold back to us as sentimental nostalgia and bogus religions bearing little of an enriching nature back into life.
'Harvest Festival' is a five tape, ten screen video installation, incorporating six channel sound and slide projection. The video tapes in this installation, and the single screen work 'Common Knowledge', are drawn from a body of images and sounds gathered throughout 1987 and 1988. Post-production took place at Sheffield Independent Film Ltd. The video images have been left largely untampered with after recording, and the soundtracks combine field recordings, including some on-camera sound, and original music played on instruments built and played by the artist.
In making 'Harvest Festival' I have come to regard inherited wisdom as a powerful means of self-definition, and of resistance to the narrow 'education' we are 'guided' through for political and economic ends. The works attach values other than the physical and the economic to materials, actions and living things. . . Although an 'ecological' reading is possible, the primary concern is to reinforce a spiritual view of life and work. This may be seen as part of the process which can bring a more ecologically sensitive and far-sighted politics."
Video Positive Commission.
New Commission.
