A Murmuration 2023 Wall Sculpture 

Material Description – Dichroic Acrylic with Computerised Light Sequence, Wooden Base and Aluminium Frame.

A Wall sculpture commissioned by the Data Communications Company (DCC) in conjunction with University of Salford and The Maker Space, responding to the theme of energy. This is a Permanent Exhibit at Brabazon House Concord Business Park, Threapwood Rd, Manchester.

As a UOS Fine Art Undergraduate in 2019, I jumped at the chance to respond to The Engagement Team’s open call on energy, curated by DCC who manage the critical information gathered from homes and business through our Smart Meters. My work sought to express the weight of climate change through light, energy, movement, and time. I chose to explore the powerful imagery of a starling murmuration as a metaphor illustrating how energy use and requirements on the grid ebb and flow. My passion for solar energy drove me to create a piece emphasizing the crucial role of Smart Meters in improving the UK’s energy efficiency, security, and emissions reduction. I was thrilled to be awarded the commission with financial support for materials and a voucher. Fuelled by excitement, I set forth to make my art come alive.

In early 2020 a site visit to the Data Communications Company in Brabazon house Manchester gave me a chance to assesses the site and to consider the overall effect of the work when installed: The lighting, the passing of people, the floor and wall colour and to talk to the team about the best position for the work. This area acted as a perfect frame for the wall sculpture and a plug socket was installed.

Captivated by the complex acrobatics of the starlings’ shapeshifting display in the evening sky, I sought to explore how their natural capacity for a shared purpose could serve as an inspiration for society’s data collection efforts to conserve and utilize resources. As my art piece took form, the dynamic shapes created by concentrations of birds provided a unique three-dimensional quality that I wanted to capture and immortalize. Thus, these murmurations of starlings symbolise the power of working together for a greater good.

To bring my vision to life, I chose the luminous power of Dichroic and clear acrylic. As light split into four separate spectrums, a linear beam illuminated the surface; a world of reflection and refraction appeared, allowing me to express a dynamics of movements through this medium.

Feeding off the vivid hues of dichroic acrylic and utilising the angles of small pieces cut to size on the laser cutter I placed them onto a background and the work took shape. By employing a transparent canvas, their soft colours manifested more prominently than when placed against a dyed backdrop. It was at this point I could imagine the finished piece. Drawings and prints helped me to consider the shapes that the birds make without being too representative.

Embossing, debossing and etching.

Colour gradients slipped under the clear acrylic to consider as a base made in photoshop and captured from evening skies.

Maquette 30cm x 20cm Dichroic Acrylic and Clear Acrylic

Making a maquette of the sculpture gave me the opportunity to test the movement of light with my phone torch and see what was possible. This work formed part of my final degree submission in May 2020.

The expense of Dichroic Perspex and film limited me to making a small maquette of the intended sculpture. I tested adhesives for permanency and invisibility. Anticipating the complexities arising from enlarging the work to one meter square, I adjusted its base to a perfect square for more controllable light sequence along its edges. I originally intended to incorporate larger pieces of dichroic material than what was ultimately necessary in order to achieve the desired effect – which turned out to be more delicate than initially estimated – creating a look that was tasteful and not overbearing.

As we emerged from lockdown, it was decided for The Maker Space to take over production—a facility that is cutting-edge and specializes in digital fabrication and additive manufacturing, supported by the Morson Group. Working with George Dodgson (School of Science, Engineering & Environment) who’s experience in electronics, lighting and animation helped tremendously to bring the idea to life. These periods were interrupted by the department moving to a new building on campus and the amazing work that the team did in producing PPE. It was lovely to be back at Salford University but a very different experience as many staff were working from home, so getting deliveries to a specific points proved challenging. Also each laser cutter behaves differently so settings had to be recalibrated and tested until the small pieces were perfect. The frame was finished at the 3D Workshop and spray booth, with the kind support of Tim Bailey. Working with The Maker Space has unlocked many opportunities for creating together in the future—an invaluable resource for any creative!

As I delved deeper into the research, a mesmerizing choreography of movements was revealed, which, with George’s help were translated into light sequences with a DMX digital light controller, described as: Echo, Directional Passover, The Big Cross, Sweep and Reduce, Centre Space Emerging and 1234 data ping. These were then layered into singular and multiple combinations evocative of cinematic frames – an incredibly satisfying stage that also hearkened back to the original brief. We interpreted and pinpointed accelerated speeds as well as luminosity for each sequence, gradually merging and parting with echoing and attenuating effects. It certainly proved troublesome but exhilarating. George’s proficiency, process knowledge and patience made it all realisable.

The piece is effectively a computer and can be shut down safely with a monitor keyboard and mouse. Through continuous testing in the Maker Space we ensured that there was no risk of overheating and that the energy consumption was comparable to that of a light strip. Using a light meter, we agreed on safe levels around the sculpture that enabled viewers to experience the work in its entirety.

The sculpture is placed in situ ready to be mounted by the Facilities Team. The work is better experienced and difficult to photograph. I will update this blog when the work is installed and hopefully have received some feedback.

Reflection: The global landscape of energy has changed beyond recognition during these last three years. Is it still pertinent to use energy, money and time to draw attention to this subject in the form of art? In 1757 Edmund Burke coined the phrase ‘sublime’ describing it as ” a “delight”, but one that is tinged by its proximity to danger: it is “a sort of tranquillity shadowed with horror”, even “terror”. As the viewer immerses themselves in the artwork, I seek to evoke a sense of tranquility igniting a bridge of realisation leading to one’s own action. Nicolas Bourriaud curator and writer, talks about artist’s use of the sublime in Planet B Climate Change and the New sublime. He asks if the artist’s response to these issues is superfluous and bourgeois, appropriate or even useful? He raises the point that it is in the name of the ‘useful’ that we are destroying life on earth and that the antidotes to this destruction may reside in the realm of the none-useful.

Influences: Olafur Eliason, Henrich Bobst and Nicolas Bourriaud

Links:

The Data Communications Company: https://www.smartdcc.co.uk/

Maker Space: https://www.salford.ac.uk/our-facilities/maker-space

Nicolas Bourriaud: https://www.lespressesdureel.com/EN/ouvrage.php?id=9423