Signal Detectors
I keep putting masks on most of the characters in this series. I’ve had several conversations with Sharon who is seeking a deeper meaning to what has been proposed. Sharon feels this work is about crisis. It presents a reasonable demand to explore the “who, what and why” philosophically. Perhaps Sharon is my crisis or my crisis saviour counterpoint within this strange narrative. I don’t usually share personal health stuff publicly, but I’ve had an (environmental) lung disease for some 10 years that has challenged my quality of health significantly including treatment limitations. I’m without question acutely germaphobic and anything perceived as a health risk environmentally or otherwise can produce all sorts of psychological responses ranging from mild paranoia to full-blown hypochondria. Life outside of the protection of this amazing property I share with Sharon and our children becomes a measured game of biochemical roulette. Maybe the masking is an emotional metaphor between the health of my lungs, current environmental threats on bee populations and other current climate risks which are suffocating humanity. The idea of environmental, biological and ecological crisis also explores the idea of opportunity as well. This series is not offering any definitive statement about humanity but rather applies questions as proposals to who, what and how we have arrived at this point.
I spent many years presenting projects in China. The cross-cultural nuance around language, for example, created a much deeper engagement in understanding the written text. When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters – one represents ‘danger’ and one represents ‘opportunity’. However, it might be more accurate to translate ‘opportunity’ in this context as a ‘crucial point’. So rephrasing the message we can say that, in Chinese, ‘crisis’ is represented as a danger at a crucial point, which if seized upon might develop into an opportunity.
I believe this definition proposal might be a gateway to exploring restorative opportunities not just as a viewer's observation of the work but imagining those conversations held between the characters as crucial trigger points for change in our thinking.
The constructed bee hive is an environmental disruption to serve humanity. A self-serving outcome that goes beyond the romantic notion of natural pollinating processes. In the Keepers series, I’ve taken creative liberties to extend the hive universe imagination by creating additional characters, who maintain the balance of order with masked anonymity and morphing physicalities.
I’ll stop writing at this point.
