Salt and Water. Water and Salt.
Salt and Water. Water and Salt.
One is born from the other.
Each can be separated from the other.
Once called White Gold, a currency, the rise of wealth, the cause of war and exploitation.
Sacred, holy it wards of evil.
Its spillage is sinful and can bring bad luck.
A sign of hospitality, loyalty and treachery.
The more I research salt the more connections it seems to have with the human condition, culture and identity.
I wanted to use the residency as an opportunity to really consider the medium I work with. To explore its properties, to play with it, to learn about it, to understand its benefits and limitations. Playing with materials is such a vital part of my artistic process; it allows me to experiment and expand my thoughts, seeing the materials move, change and react allow me to visually transfer text-based research and ideas through symbolism. I will not adopt a masterly tone and bore you, rather allow me to take you on a visual journey
Both salt and water are essential and detrimental to our existence. The first part of this process was seeing what would happen to a chunk of Himalayan salt under a running tap within a few minutes the water created a hole within the salt. What was dry on the surface was now glistening and part translucent.
I conducted several trials trying to dissolve the salt into water, varying the temperature of the water, altering the type of salt. Immersing my wooden paisley shapes into the saline solution, hanging by thread and balanced by a steel spoon.
Within a matter of days, the salt began to separate from the water and formed new attachments.
In a matter of weeks, the salt growth accelerated, travelling up the thread, covering the spoon and the paper which acted as a cover. It travelled onto the metal tray, seeping and penetrating the surface of the metal, oxidisation was occurring, rusting the tray and altering the colour of the salt.
Seeing the salt move and change not only its own form but that of the metal sparked a new interest. How salt changes materials, attacks the metal, corroding its surface and creating forms, shapes and colours beyond my control. Material was interacting with material and environments.
My thoughts go from this:
To this:
What the eye cannot see. Exists. Moves. Grows. Changes. Crashes. Explodes.
Words which are said have the power to destroy what comes in its way.
Thoughts which are felt force identities to flake, crumble, decay and disintegrate.
What the eye can see may be hard and impenetrable but even the strongest can be pierced given the right tool. Expose it to the perils of nature and society and you will see its fragility.
What lies beneath the surface is what it is, but see how it slowly changes, morphing into something new, rupturing the epidermis.
Causes aren’t just words or thoughts but what exists within society; an attitude, a presumption, a belief; it is these which penetrate the core, altering and impacting the YOU in you.
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