Laura
Daly
TRAIL
3 July - 15 August 2004
ArtSway is delighted to present an exhibition of new work by Laura Daly
who has been developing site
specific research over the last few months.
Taking the landscape of the New Forest and its ancient folklore as the
basis for her investigations, Laura
Daly has conducted research into the mythological character ‘Laurence’
- a notorious will-o’-the-wisp and
inhabitant of local bogs and heaths. Gathering opinion through formal
methods of investigation such as
observation and speculation, using historical texts, old maps and interviews,
significant sites have been
discovered that point to a new location for Laurence and provide the basis
of a filmed tour.
By using 3600 panoramic photographs to document the original sites and
reflect their layout and form,
Daly gives the investigation a grounding in factual observation. The film
is speculative, presenting a two
screen installation that reveals both aspects of ‘looking’
and being ‘looked for’ with projections placed in
oppostion. Searching through space to detect activity, the viewer will
then mirror the on screen narrative.
Reinforcing the plausability of the project, the work is authenticated
by the inclusion of various supporting
materials, including maps, found images and documents, collected during
research.
Playing with the notion of hiding and searching by creating a trail, the
route will also be available on
handouts, suggesting the audience explore the outside space and continue
the work beyond the gallery
context. Following a series of clues, by setting up and proposing this
dialogue between audience and
content ‘Trail’ alters the traditional role of the audience
as they are encouraged to question their own
defined concepts of space.
Laura Daly was artist in residence at ArtSway during April and May 04
as part of the Pro[duction]
residency scheme funded by Arts Council England.
Laura Daly has exhibited both in the UK and abroad, she was the prize
winner in BT New
Contemporaries (1993-94). Previous exhibitions include ‘Sleeping’,
2001, film screening, Hochschule
fuer Gestaltung und Kunst, Zurich, Switzerland; Untitled painting installation,
‘Generation X’, 1996,
Manchester. She currently has work in Re:Thinking Time, Peterborough and
is undertaking a Phd at
Goldsmiths College, University of London.
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