Diamonds and Echelons 2024
4K colour digital video collage: Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, single channel with sound
11min 11sec
Artist Statement
Navigating personal and geopolitical connections between earth and sky, Diamonds and Echelons is a mediation on power, perspective and projection. It pinpoints Australia’s coastlines as subject, responding to the broader challenges of Australia’s coastal regions and the Asia-Pacific arena. The title references the airborne patterns of birds and planes, and is a play on dominant narratives about wealth and social hierarchies.
The work employs collage in its formation to surveil the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, said to be the most sophisticated jet of our age. Encompassing aerial perspectives of the Coral Sea and South Pacific Ocean, the jets, mirrored across four fields, form an axis and a reference to the cardinal directions. Across eleven minutes the F-35’s move meditatively from earth to sky in a choreographed sequence with stealthy qualities on show.
Extending on the notion of ‘formations’, the work pays homage to the photo mosaics of Ruby Spowart and my fathers work as a professional skywriter and aerobatic pilot. It also expands my curiosity with the sky and it’s associations with notions of transcendence.
Composition
This artwork is completely self sufficient, all components are provided for plug and play.
Installation by two gallery technicians is required.
2 X 2 video wall; 4 X Philips 55BDL2105X/75 video wall displays; each 55inch, full HD, Set Width 1213.5mm X Set Height 684.3mm, 28.8 kg
4 X Vogels wall mounts; Display Interface Strips, Display Interface Bar
1 X BrightSign XD3 (1033) (specs); 1 X Powersupply, 1 X 32GB SD Card, (preprogrammed to run with artwork looped); operates in Stand Alone mode (without a ethernet/network or internet connection)
4 X HDMI cables (daisy chain confirguration
‘True North Bench’ custom seating also available. The bench measure 3 X 3metres and is orientated to true north in proximity to the video wall.
Acknowledgments
From the body of work titled Formations and Earth-Sky Connections
Sound produced in collaboration with David M. Thomas.
Research supported by The Lock-Up Newcastle Artist in Residence program
Commissioned by HOTA Gallery for Here and Now: Gold Coast Triennial 2024
Image credits
Rebecca Ross, Louis Lim, Aaron Chapman and Remco Photography
Technical notes
The above video is sticthed together to simulate the formation of the 2 X 2 video wall. The images are true documentation of the work presented at HOTA Gallery. The video wall can be wall mounted or mounted to a truss.
Loan Fee
I work to NAVA benchmarked Artist Fees. Loan of artwork $1000 + Super (negotiable for small arts orgs), includes provision of above mentioned ‘composition’. Excludes freight and install technicians.
