Dustopia is an ongoing research and archival orientated project, begun in 2012, that registers Huxley’s encounters with dust. Dust is collected from places and contexts that either are undergoing, or have a history with, a state of change, transition, transformation or conflict.
2020 has been challenging globally in unprecedented ways across political, environmental and individual spheres for us all. Storm Clouds of The Twenty First Century has emerged to cast an observer effect upon the emergent destabilising dichotomies of this current time. Unstable skies and weather systems, the fear index of political gaming, curious moments of derogation to moments of domestic cleaning, Dustopia | 2020 archives a visual taxonomy for this material research into realms of instability forming a central reference point for the current painting practice. Existing as a utopian space for the world of dust, they also present as another space to test and curate dust’s potential.
Dustopia | Missing Volcanoes
37.5cm x 28.5cm x 8cm
archival box containing field notes, paper documents, volcano dust samples (Teide), seed heads, fragments, vials, plastic containers, photographs, pen drawings, sensor activated sound recordings (wacka wacka birds) and USB cable
Dustopia | Storm Clouds of The Twenty First Century
Storm Clouds of The Twenty First Century | Field Notes 1
“Now then—take the following sequences of accurate description of thunderstorm, with plague-wind.”
Excerpt from the diary of John Ruskin, 16th July 1876, quoted in his lecture of 1884: The Storm Cloud of The Nineteenth Century, Lecture 1
37.5cm x 28.5cm x 8cm
archival box containing field notes, collected dust samples, glass vial, plastic container, bound pencil drawings contained in a small cardboard box and clutch pencil. Text description included.
Storm Clouds of The Twenty First Century | Field Notes 2
38.5 x 29 x 15 cm
archival box containing a wood and glass vial, acetate, text and a few immovable specks of dust
Storm Clouds of The Twenty First Century | Field Notes 3
37.5cm x 28.5cm x 8cm
archival box containing field notes, collected dust samples, magnifying lens, plastic container. Text description included.