Titos

I organised a 4 week residency in an abandoned building in Liverpool through The Arts Organisation.

The following is my proposal:

I am concerned with issues of dereliction and abandonment on a physical and mental level, and use my work as a way to translate and transcribe the tensions and experiences within urban settings. Through my work, I hope to confront how people respond to neglected sites through the means of transforming them in a way that encourages interaction. I am interested in emotional and intuitive responses to specific spaces, considering multi-sensory aspects and the effects of the urban environment on the individual. Ultimately, I want to challenge how these spaces of indeterminacy are perceived, drawing on the importance of such sites with regard to the memories they encapsulate, acknowledging the lives lived within them, rather than seeing them simply as structural. It is their ability to break the mould of expected normalcy and to provide greater texture to everyday life that excites me.

Working on site-specific installations and projects, I respond intuitively to my surroundings. I am particularly interested in the textures that surround us and the random markings that go unnoticed. I take that which has been neglected, the detritus that can be found all around cities and abandoned spaces, as inspiration to create beautiful sculptures and pieces of work. Through utilising simple techniques such as wrapping thread around found objects and appliquéing beads to rust, or making patterns through drilling holes into wood, I subtly transform the overlooked and make it precious. In this way, I am concerned with both the space of dereliction and what is found within the space.

I am currently in the process of looking for permission to work in an abandoned space to allow me the opportunity to spend more time on an installation piece. I see this as perhaps taking the form of a 4-6 week residency, resulting in an exhibition of the work I have created. It is the process of decay and weathering that inspires my work, and therefore the more dilapidated the space is, the more I will have to work with. I would be keen to work with the space in the condition that it is found in to allow me the chance to select any detritus that I deem to be of artistic worth, although it may be necessary to do some tidying up after initial viewing. As I work in response to a given space the size of it can vary although, depending on how long I have to complete the work, it may be more realistic to work in a smaller space. I will need permission to work straight onto the walls, floor and ceiling, working with paint and glue and if possible, to drill holes. The less I need to be precious about the space, the better. I will also require step ladders to allow me to reach the walls and ceiling.