The Umbrella Artists...

The bird that flies in the night is a secret bird..........full of deception.

The exhibited sound work at St Margaret’s is part of an installation made in response to an article in the Chicago Sun Times 22^nd May 2007  reporting an infestation of cicadas in Chicago, causing the residents difficulty in hearing themselves speak, as the insects formed a huge visual, screaming, moving mass. This phenomena occurs every 17 years – 17 being a prime number found throughout the natural world. The primary focus of the work uses the archetype of fear, where sound is transmitted at various volumes. It was previously exhibited using 2 speakers hidden underneath a mound of grass clippings, cut in the Spring, when the cicadas begin their courtship. As the male-female mating is at its peak the grass vibrates and jumps some 12cms in the air as the sound heightens and oscillates between the speakers. The complete sound-track lasts for 17 minutes. My current practise looks at the visible boundaries set by Man which are ultimately illusory and address fundamental socio-political issues. Recent work using flags, challenges and questions our attachment towards identifying with our culture, heritage and nationalistic tendencies; the diminishing and fragile nature of who we think we are and possibly the decreasing importance of national identity. I continue to remain involved with secrecy, and incorporate code, both hidden and seen, into sculptures and installations.