The Essence of an Idea

As my van is still with the mechanic and I have nothing new to share on that front until it comes home, I thought instead I would write about seagrass.

For those of you who are newly subscribed, or for anyone who might have missed the announcement, I am currently the UK’s first Blue Carbon Artist in Residence. I am working with Plymouth University, the Ocean Conservation Trust, the National Marine Aquarium and Plymouth City Council to create The Seagrass Walk: an installation and series of satellite exhibitions that will open at the NMA and around Plymouth City this summer. I wrote about the project the day it was announced and promised that I would continue to share a glimpse behind the scenes as the project progressed. I thought it was time to do just that.

The heart of The Seagrass Walk will be centred on a corridor in the aquarium. It is a simple space, with a low ceiling and a few small tanks. The walls are covered with a seagrass display that has been there for many years. If you stood at one end of the corridor watching, you would see people walk or run (depending on their age) directly down it. Most don’t stop. Those that do pause only briefly and then move on.

My job, the job of my art, is to change this. To get people to stop, to stay, to wonder, to engage, to learn.

When the project began, I spent a lot of time researching other artists. No art exists in a vacuum and those who have come before lay a path for us to follow, their work an inspiration and an education. I revelled in spending time with the work of artists like Olafur Eliasson, Katie Holten, Ackroyd and Harvey, and Katie Paterson. Each artist takes a different approach and makes vastly different work, but they all have an interest in art, science and the environment.

I will admit to feeling jealous. I wish half their ideas were mine. But jealously is no bad thing as it lets me know I have found the right inspiration. These are the people whose incredible standards I would like to reach.

One of the things that these artists have in common is their ability to take a hugely complex idea and create art that encompasses it while being deceptively simple to look at.

With that in mind I have begun to boil down the hundred and one ideas I started with, trying to get to the essence of what we are doing. The essence of what my art needs to represent and enrich- seagrass and blue carbon. I’m not there yet. I don’t yet know what the deceptively simple idea is but I do know this:

• The space in the aquarium needs stripping bare and reshaping into something entirely new. That means the carpets and the lights, along with the existing display, all need to go.

• Whatever that new thing is it needs to create the illusion of a larger space.

• Video is going to be important, which is a challenge as I’ve never worked with video before and don’t like most video art I’ve seen.

• I am going to use locally recycled ocean plastic in the work somehow.

• I want to use scientific equipment to make some element of the artwork.

• I’m going to incorporate analogue photography, which has been made possible this week with a gift from a hugely talented photographer friend. This stunning underwater camera is the only one made that is waterproof without a case. I can’t wait to play with it.

While it might not seem like much this list represents a real beginning. The next step is going to visit some seagrass armed with cameras, to start collecting footage and taking photographs. Excitingly I am going this week and next week. Wish me sunshine. I will let you know what comes from the trips.

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