Chimera

Chimera 2008, Iroko hardwood, MDF, Perspex, brass fastenings, 24" LCD monitor, computer equipment and HD video (22 min, 40 sec), 103 x 65 x 52 cm

Specimen case by Mark Burns and Tony Wiles

Transhumation - Dulverton Town Hall

Transhumation 2008, Powder coated aluminium, digital image printed on acrylic opal, LED's, 200 x 200 cm

These images show the installation of the work at Dulverton Village Hall on Exmoor National Park for the Triparks preview event, Thursday 15th - Sunday 18th October. During the installation and preview period the work attracted a lot of attention from local residents, and I hear was even discussed at the writing group who meet weekly in the space. Due to this interest in the work it has been able to remain there until the main body of the Triparks tour begins next spring on Dartmoor.

The work initiated many interesting conversations, a lot of which revolved around individual spiritual readings and similarities in construction of the image to that of a rose window, a feature of church architecture. Someone commented that the work resembled Hindu or Buddhist mandala's and had similar meditative qualities, I found this very interesting. We talked about how the work was difficult to understand as a whole without understanding it's individual components, and how the eye was constantly pulled back and forth across its surface.

Chimera - Hybrid Specimen 1

The 5 body-landscape hybrids shown here as separate cycles and clips are combined to form the video component of Chimera (22 min. 40 secs.). The cycles follow the order indicated here on a continuous loop within the specimen case shown below. For the purposes of the blog they have been separated.

Time-lapse footage of cellular mitosis used with the kind permission of Susana Abreu Ribeiro at The Earnshaw Group, The Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, Edinburgh

Chimera - Hybrid Specimen 2

Time-lapse footage of cellular mitosis used with the kind permission of Alexey Khodjakov, Wadsworth Center, Albany, New York

Chimera - Hybrid Specimen 3 (clip)

Time-lapse footage of cellular mitosis - interphase used with the knid permission of Dr. Yuko Mimori-Kiyosue on behalf of Shoichiro Tsukita

Chimera - Hybrid Specimen 4

Time-lapse footage of cellular mitosis used with the kind permission of John Daum & Gary J Gorbsky

Chimera - Hybrid Specimen 5

Time-lapse footage of cellular apoptosis used with the kind permission of Susana Abreu Ribeiro at the Earnshaw Group, The Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, Edinburgh

Chimera - Specimen Case

Chimera specimen case constructed by Mark Burns (Burnie) and Tony Wiles, dimensions - 900 x 600 x 400 cm, constructed using Iroko hardwood, Perspex, brass fastenings, 24" LCD monitor and computer equipment.

This design had to be slightly modified by shortening the legs for the final piece.

Chimera - Production Stills

Transhumation - detail

Transhumation

Transhumation 2008, Powder coated aluminium, digital image printed on acrylic opal, LED's, 200 x 200 cm

Transhumation - composition detail

Viral and cellular body

Viral (Body)

Cellular (Body)

Viral (Body) (detail)

Cellular (Body) (detail)

I am currently working on a series of digital images capturing disembodied fragments of the external body, particularly the hands, and manipulating them to create hybridised images which appear to replicate internal bodily landscapes, cells and viruses in particular.