Ghost of Order



September 29, 2006

The very last stone is now from the wall. The 6.17 metres of grading, spacing and order which lived in gallery 101 from June 2005 ‐ September 2006 are no longer. Order (the title of this temporary installation) is currently in a situation of re-order; labelled and stored in hundreds of small, numbered, plastic bags. Its partner piece, Hieroglyph, is in a similar state. I was fascinated by the subtle traces left on the wall ‐ a kind of ghost. It looked even more textile in this softened form. I appreciate that it’s a bit tricky to see but felt it worth showing all the same, and at the risk of being repetitive, have included a previous image for comparison. The installations of Hieroglyph and Order are a new way of thinking for me. I have been challenging my own concepts of what my ‘textile’ work is… and I know this format has challenged others. One of the key issues to arise is one of massive investment of time v permanence. “How can you do all this work ‐ only to dismantle it again?” Being asked this question, particularly when set in the context and work ethic of woven tapestry (a very permanent, tangible product), has been interesting. It strikes me that the majority of people who view your work only ever see it in another form – printed (books, articles, postcards etc.) or on the web, say. I know the proportion of art I have the opportunity to view first hand is tiny compared to the amount seen in publications. There is nothing like experiencing the direct impact of a piece, but if that is not possible most of the time, does it matter if the original doesn’t exist anymore? Let’s think music here. This whole process has liberated my thinking and I certainly feel opened up to all sorts of possibilities in exploring the ephemeral. I have been asked many times to describe exactly how the two installations were to be de-installed. I hope the images and text below will illuminate. Order is to be re-sited in the foyer of the new Haymarket Hotel, London (currently under construction) in January 2007. Photographing the work - Click to enlarge Removing the shell fragments of Hieroglyph - Click to enlarge De-installing Order - Click to enlarge Numbered rows of Order - Click to enlarge Olivia organising the numbered bags - Click to enlarge Detail of the Ghost - Click to enlarge


  

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