LIGHTBOXES

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THE DEGREE SHOW PLAN - INITIAL IDEA AND RATIONALE

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Before the Covid-19 crisis hit my intention had been to create two complimentary yet different pieces for my degree show submission: one thought provoking piece where some time was needed to appreciate the finer detail (this is the pyjama project), and one more immediate visceral experience. This is the light box project. 

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This idea for the lightbox project began when I revisited the wooden boxes I had made for the 'Hollow Chambers' exhibition last year, thinking about how such individual confined spaces could be used in my current work.

 

At this time I had joined some social media support groups for sleeping disorders to gain perspectives that were not my own and I was struck by how often people wrote missives like "Not sleeping..... it is torture".

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This prompted research into the CIA's sanctioned use of sensory and sleep deprivation to torture inmates at Guantanamo Bay, and other so called 'black' sites.

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This torture included confining inmates in one spot in small 'black boxes' that restricted movement and the use of bright lights to confine people in one spot, often accompanied by loud noises and music. So I started thinking about how I could interpret this. 

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The intention was to create twelve individual light boxes that would flash randomly, akin to blinking. They would be overlaid with vinyl panels using the chorus of 'Enter Sandman' by Metallica. Reportedly heavy metal bands such as Metallica are routinely used in such techniques. The lyrics talk about the Sandman coming to lead us to peaceful sleep. This was not going to happen for those being tortured. 

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This piece aimed to promote a sense of perspective, and thought about language used surrounding tiredness. Yes being sleep deprived is difficult at times, it can create a loss of sense of self... but we are largely free to come and go as we please. We are not being tortured. Albeit we are actually creating some sleeping issues for ourselves by how we live our lives...

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Aesthetically, this project was inspired by Aldo Tambellini's presentation of 'Memory Atlas'. 

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