Nervous Systems
2020
Boxes: wood (elm, sweet chestnut), jesmonite, rubber, resin, paint, lyrcra, buttons, toilet paper, gold leaf). Stands: Skirting board, recycled ashtray stand, spindles, paint.
Nervous Systems are a series of organic, organ-shaped, wooden box-objects with upholstered, painted and cast interiors which housed objects made from remnants saved during the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 (the tiny remnants of a bar of soap, hair shed during a time of increased stress, and supermarket receipts for all the food I ate over a 3 month period). These works evolved slowly, over time. I began working on these boxes to test ways of making, and develop woodworking skills. In parallel I'd been thinking about the relationship between the mind and the gut, and reading about cognitive science.
The stands supporting the boxes were fabricated with the assistance of the Glasgow Visual Artist and Craft Maker Bursary and the works were documented by Isobel Lutz Smith.