The Rabbit Archive
This work, formed as an archive of individual works, pulls on my personal experiences of ASD and PTSD intertwining with the unpredictability of ever unfolding life. My research-based methodology combines a collection of objects and images both found and made that draw on and investigate behaviours and associations with both the central agent of this work, the rabbit and the conditions I draw attention to. Using a set path trajectory throughout the work, I guide the viewer to receive this installation in a specific order, chronicling early experiences and challenges, then the complexities of the internalisation of PTSD and further on to the current climate, the present and prevalent challenges being faced and experienced right now.
The first goal of my work is to process my own issues using a method rooted in memory and research, I then turn this information into object and image, each memory turns into something real and tangible, something that I can then physically put to one side and remove from my mind. This output then becomes an archive that I can dive into, take pieces and work with them, work them against each other and draw many narratives from my past and present. The depths of my struggles, issues and trauma will never be fully understood by the audience, which is exactly as intended. I aim to use my own experience to guide people into self-reflection.
The order in which the work is seen is important as there is a build-up, a momentum that grows as you work through it. The sense of unease increases as the work unfolds. I aim to have my pieces received in such a way that they affect people subtly and gently. I do not wish to shock the observer but instead to gradually overwhelm them just enough to catch them off guard, to make them unable to singularly focus and scrutinise each piece but instead to try to take in what they can which is a feat in itself, bringing with it certain feelings of bombardment. This way I believe that the reactions in response will be more instinctual, more subliminal rather than being so tied up in logic, learnt thought patterns and behaviours. The way in which the installation is taken in is an extension of the physical elements. Essentially a manipulation, a way of controlling the perceived output to a certain extent. I am trying to reach the audience on a base level, to touch them deeply with a feeling and thus make them question what the work means, what it is trying to say and hopefully to help them reflect and start turning these questions and feeling inwards, beginning a conversation with themselves and the people around them. I do not want everyone to come away with the same views on the piece, but I do want as many people as possible to take away a need to begin healthy discussion and thought processes, even to give some people the sense of understanding and ideally the confidence to talk with others and discuss their own issues, assess their own lives, and generate healthy, positive change.
I have been heavily inspired during this body of work by writings from Hans Ulrich Obriest and Bergson, philosophy and outlook have been very important factors for me. I have also drawn upon the showmanship of Mark Dion’s work, his extravagant displays of his archival pieces and how that affects the reception.
No part of creating this installation has been simple, and my hope is that the process for the viewer is complex enough to keep their attention and ignite their imagination.
