I recently had the pleasure of spending a summer day at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park at the new David Nash exibition. Having been born in Surrey in 1945, he has spent the majority of his working life in North Wales, since 1967 living in a wonderful old disused Methodist chapel.
His work is an incredible antidote and counterpoint to much of the digital interactive work that I enjoy making and seeing. I have tried to escape the hegemony of the screen so many times, and have become quite antagonistic towards it. Only because my most meaningful moments come in quite solitary, late night settings. At least, that was the pattern, until a series of workshops with camaraderie and technical support in equal measure have shown me the benefit of a new way of working, one in which I perhaps close the textbooks and balance it with conversation.
I can’t say that I would have achieved the position and knowledge base I have without the late night contemplation – it certainly has its place – but there comes a time when you just have to close the books and hope for the best. That’s the point I’m at now. Not making any grand claims, but I hope to aspire to and emulate the practice of the late John Cage, in trying to find the zen in what I do. I’m on my way.
