Dear All
this is my first contribution to the mailing list despite good
intentions to the contrary.
This year I was invited to be Artist in Residence at The In Flanders Fields
Museum, Belgium, where I had proposed doing a live drawing as a kind of
temporary memorial.
The commission was open, so I felt no pressure to illustrate or commemorate
any specific event. Important, as my interest lies in the use and subversion
of existing memorial forms and not historical authenticity.
I designed and had built a 4metre sq wall, 20cms deep, in the belltower of
the museum, and commenced drawing on the 23rd May. The structure alluded to
a monolith or memorial wall for a roll of honour, and acted as a blockage in
the middle of the museum. The depth of the wall represented an actual
distance of confrontation, in scale with the drawn figures. This critical
distance refers to the 'fight or flight' boundaries used by all animals and
humans when confronting imminent death or danger.
On completion, 72 days later I had drawn 19,386, 1:32 scale soldier figures
(Rucken blick) in blue biro, on both sides of the lemon plaster surface(the
natural colour of post-it).
This public articulation of a massed army as individuals was an attempt, not
only to slow down the viewers looking through witnessing an 'act of skill',
but to draw attention to the singular nature of conflict as a personal
encounter.
The drawing process was physically and mentally extreme and solicited a lot
of reaction from the 50,000 visitors who witnessed it, especially as the
work was to be destroyed at an appointed date in the future.
On returning some three months later I deleted the figures with a black
marker pen over a two day period.
This act of negation was seen by some as wilfull destruction or decadence
but, the result was actually the creation of another kind of drawing, a
cruder, blunter imminent piece looking more like an heroic abstract-
expressionist painting.
It was clear to me that the two opposing methods of mark-making were
intrinsically part of the reading-off, and the ultimate demolition a fitting
conclusion to this absurd act of contrition.
There has been a film made of the whole process which is awaiting the
necessary funding for post production and, a catalogue charting the first
stage of the drawing.
If any one is interested in any more information, let me know.
Many Thanks
Mark A.
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