I wasn’t confident enough initially to apply for this residency but having been encouraged by Andy I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to collaborate with Alyson (BA Hons Music student). Having previously discussed numerous ideas with Alyson, I thought it would motivate us and give us the space to create.
Here is our application:
soundcloud.com/alyson-gilliland/sirens-whisk
Home and the objects within it play an important part in our practice. The image of the home is not simply a metaphor. It has a resonance that goes beyond the symbolic, a physical one, that carries layers of fractured memories, loss and nostalgia.
We both question if the domestic operates as a signifier for absence? In the context of visual art is the image of ‘home’ abstract; an unreal place? Does it represent a longing for a home that can never be or one that never existed?
Antonia’s studio practice consists of experimenting with film, made and found objects and early stages of sound as an element of her work. Alyson’s practice is electroacoustic sound/composition, sound to visual experimentation and performance.
Having seen and heard each other’s work we decided to embark on a collaborative practice. We both use home, the domestic and our immediate environment and experience as material. Ideas of space and how to manipulate and distort spaces with visuals and sound are key to our process.
We have begun to explore the idea of creating a footprint of a room using sound as a signifier. By separating and distorting collected domestic sounds we intend to create an immersive space that plays with the senses. By building a library of sounds that originate within the home, it’s objects, people and industrial devices, we intend for the fractured nature of these sounds to convey familiar hooks and memories of the home.
We will be exploring industrial materials that would work with these sounds and the space. Sound equipment, common domestic products and waste piping will be part of the visual aesthetic.
The residency would be invaluable for our collaboration and experimentation, enabling to work in a shared supported space to push our work forward. We are both really excited by each other’s ideas and cross disciplines.
Both in our third year we see Back Lane West as an ideal platform to receive support, feedback and networking from a highly established and respected community, not just for now but also for our transition out of the university setting.
We didn’t get the residency