In Process Day Two

First thing this morning I placed the black  Bunker-camouflaged-as-a-House on the plinth and messed around with the yellow acrylic rods. Some months/ years in the making.
Nicola Naismith from Satellite Artists spent the morning in the Project Space with me editing, sifting and sorting out which pieces she felt worked well together and could sit happily in this space. There seemed to be a mass of work that could become two or three different shows, or one show with different rooms. However, in the allotted area we had to play with, one pared down, rather bunker-oriented show emerged resplendent in greys and blacks with small splashes of yellow. 
Tomorrow I am picking up the projector, so my guest for Thursday will have some video to play around with too. I wonder if my old super 8 projector works?

I've finally got hold of a postcard of the fabulous tomb of Cyrus the Great, once set within what may be considered the first four-quartered garden or chahar bagh. I've sneaked some streaks of neon yellow onto the image, for a direct comparison with my sculpture, "The House is Black" from a couple of years ago.  The form of this was, of course, based on Cyrus' tomb.
the tomb is at Pasargadae.


A brief mention of the plan to build the Sivand Dam somewhere between Pasargadae and Persepolis - a somewhat controversial proposal due to the unreliability of the flood plain level and also the increased humidity levels that experts believe will accelerate the destruction of Pasargadae - a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The beginning of the sculpture after some eight years.

Framework for half of the glass camouflage-bunker sculpture in lovely powder-coated metal, nestled in the grass infont of the studio bunker, itself camouflaged by creping greenery. The title still evades me - 'Safe as Houses' seems too obtuse.

Interesting Persian ceramic houses

An interesting lecture at the V& A today by Margaret S. Graves on Persian Medieval ceramic house models.  Connections to my  exploration of houses, ceramic, wax or sugar. If the houses were indeed made as Norouz gifts, then there might have been similar garden models, trees or perhaps even garden pavilions.

I unfortunately failed to find any  of the examples on display in the ceramic department or searching the catalogue, but ran out of time looking.

http://edinburgh.academia.edu/MargaretGraves/Papers/443672/Ceramic_House_Models_from_Medieval_Persia_Domestic_Architecture_and_Concealed_Activities

In the Vale

Jumped out of the car half way between where (Great great) Auntie Min is buried and the power station that stands where her house used to be. The drone of the Spitfire engines that used to be sited at the power station still throbbing through my chest and deafening my ears. This house-bunker-house, camouflaged and now perhaps a lived-in-for-real home.

Part of the glass bunker design

Discussion with the metal work place sorting out the design that I couldn't do last year for various reasons. Luckily they'd kept the design, so just re-acquainting and a few adjustments. Should be done by the end of the month, when I can order the glass. First steps, at last, on the small version of the glass bunker after, what, at least 8 years. Working title is 'Safe As House', hopefully that will change. Also here, an image from a museum re-creating the domesticity of the internal world of a concrete defence structure.