Sunday 3 May 2020

Hiding in plain sight - version one.



This is a speculative large-scale work inspired by new materials, wanting to do something big that was also illusory. This would be a large room or hallway. It is well lit, but due to the special black pigments used nothing can be seen. In fact, the space is full of human life sized models - it is an impression (implied, not explicit) of a refugee camp, or rough sleepers. People we often try to overlook and are therefore invisible to us or others.
There would be practical issues in mounting this artwork, health and safety considerations and expense. However, I am convinced it could be a significant piece of public art that is mysterious and thought provoking.

Project Plan 

This would probably be started as a model - something I plan to do next year. Without considerable sponsor ship, the large scale installation may not be possible. In the first instance I would propose a ceramic material on a 1/12th or smaller scale diorama. It could also become part of a machine.

Conclusion

I think to get these working would be a huge achievement. It absolutely depends on the availability of the materials. The specialised materials are unavailable as the documentation proves. However there are others which would be worth spending a little on to test.

Documentation

Blackest black, Vantablack: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vantablack 
Ultra black paint: https://culturehustle.com/collections/black/products/black-3-0-the-worlds-blackest-black-acrylic-paint-150mlHow the copy was developed: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/artists-can-now-get-their-hands-worlds-blackest-paint-180964512/Kapoor buys up all the supply of blackest black: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/anish-kapoor-vantablack-exclusive-rights-436610

No comments:

Post a Comment