"Orbital" was developed between 2022 and 2023. The project stemmed from my research for a Master's in contemporary art practice at Edinburgh College of Art. It was initially showcased as part of my final degree exhibition in August 2022. The project incorporates symbols of dancing figures and the iconic smiley face of Acid House into ritualistic totems. These sculptural forms delineate a sacred space for rave and echo the form of neolithic henge monuments. The appropriation of road signage is a nod to the London M25 orbital, which was newly completed in 1986 and carved out new routes into the English countryside; facilitating the early rave scene. The glass pieces were created through sand casting, resulting in works with a primitive aesthetic reminiscent of early visual culture in prehistoric societies and cave paintings.
The project was further developed as a site-specific installation within a circular structure at the Scottish Widows building for Hidden Door 2023. This version of the work included fictional objects displayed in museum-style cases. The objects included artefacts fashioned from cast iron as well as from faience, an ancient ceramic dating back to the end of the fifth millennium B.C., found in many archaeological collections from Ancient Egypt. A series of drawings and site plans related to the circular henge-like installation completed the exhibit, creating an aesthetic reminiscent of a museum reconstruction.
Orbital, glass, steel and metal leaf, Hidden Door Festival 2023
