Andy Rumball: Contained Infinity

Friday, September 27, 2013

Contained Infinity - continuing

At the same time as the exhibition of the series 'if I could understand you, I could love you' was opening in West Berlin, a show containing another series of mine was opening in East Berlin entitled 'contained infinity'. At first glance nothing more than the timing seems to connect these two projects. The series 'contained infinity' depicts containers, boxes, call them what you will, located within urban and rural landscapes. Man is seen only through the traces of actions, but not in the frame itself. Instead we are left only with a box, a form which we understand and see but which the form itself hides from us its contents. It was this contradiction that I found interesting, the infinite possibilities contained within a structure we can see and understand, sitting within our everyday existence. I wished to draw the actual photographic print into the very process and proceeded to use each finished print as the scultural material constructing a cube / box in which a solution related to the photos motive was poured within. These 'photographic print boxes' then sat containing their individual solutions for a period of time. The solution was eventually emptied and the prints unfolded and framed.

The exhibition, entitled 'Fremdungen' at the Galerie Weisser Elefant, Berlin Mitte, contained 5 finished works and a 6th as a photographic print box with contained solution. The series is ongoing.

What links boths series is my interest in employing methods within the creative process which can not be easily controlled, processes which by their very nature are mistakes. I want to involve the energy of chance and danger, there's an accent to the visual language that has a resonance which seems so often missing in this time of digital perfection and control.