Superposition ASMbly lab....

http://www.thesuperposition.org/portfolio-item/ice-form-project/
​I will be showcasing my #iceform project as part of the Superposition ASMbly pop up lab event:
(A)rt, (S)cience, (M)ake labs is our annual big event. A 12 day long pop-up art science lab with the aim of generating new artworks and prototypes in a fast, hotbed environment of cross-disciplinary collaboration between artists, scientists and makers. We also have workshops, drop-in activities, an exhibition, talks and a closing event with performers working with art, science and making.
​​This will be an opportunity for me to try to solve the many problems I face with this project, gain knowledge, create new collaborations as well as pass on some of my own! The logistics as ever, with these ephemeral works are challenging but I will persevere. The tensions of process, deterioration, decay and regeneration are what drive my thought processes and practice forward.
​

ASMbly 28.7.17

I spent the afternoon within the Superposition ASMbly lab presenting/introducing the Ice Form Project to scientists and artists. It was an interesting afternoon of discussion and input. Exhibiting a selection of ice forms was a great way of receiving feedback on how people perceived them.Most of all it was the making of them that sparked much interest and the contents within them. 
​There is still much more to develop in the making of this work and new ideas, especially different materials that could be experimented with come to light all the time. The recent introduction of charcoal has been a successful experiment and while making some ices forms on the day discovery of the different potentials between charcoal as a powder and as a solid have come to light; the powder acting more as a dye and colouring the water  as opposed to the solid pieces staying intact within the water/ice.
​The scientists are extremely focused on the measured aspect of process and channel thinking in such an ordered and  mathematical way, where as I throw caution to the wind and just 'try' things out! This freedom enables me to learn from the things that don't work and move creative processes forward. It is often the things that go wrong that I discover are the most meaningful and relevant.
​With only the afternoon there I mainly concentrated on showcasing my work to an audience and grasping the opportunity to talk, gain feedback and take note of any possibilities that could be taken forward. One of the main aspects suggested was the use of different types of water i.e. from different places streams, rivers, and other parts of the country/globe and how it would react aesthetically to freezing. Freezing salt water is something I want to try and hope to visit the coast and collect water from he north sea to experiment with.
​A main concern for me is the logistics of this project and the presentation of the work. The transportation of the ice forms from
a to b within a cool box works but is not ideal. Physically this takes its toll and is demanding on me.
How would I realize this piece in another space, another part of the country or even oversees??? The work has great potential for being shown within other gallery settings and if I were to have the opportunity to do this the ice forms would either have to be made on site/in situ or stored within a frozen environment close to the exhibition space. (the Superposition were kind enough to obtain a freezer which I was able to use on site) The whole concept of this project offers so many 'on site' process led making which could become part of the actual work and transference of learning about the physical connection to the real. There are many difficulties within this work that can be solved by an 'artist in residence' aspect and something I need to pursue.