17/01/2018 - WHITE TIGER EXHIBITION INSTALL 1

As I was painting my entire piece directly onto the wall for the exhibition itself, I went along a day ahead to sketch out my design. As I was working on a bigger scale and had the benefit of legal permission to work as long as needed, I decided to use a projector with my collage composition to allow me to sketch the design in perfectly proportion.

The white walled space of the gallery wasn't really my ideal however, and I wanted to make things feel a little rougher and less sterile. With watered down black paint and a wide brush I roughly splashed, dripped, stained and scrubbed at the wall to roughen the surface and attempt to recapture some of the character generated when art is put on a surface not intended for art. As well as unconscious scribbles, I also suggested forms, wiggles, stars and other shapes which could only be interpreted as human mark making to give a sense of layering and time not unlike that of many layers of tagging built up over time on walls around the city.


I was also careful with the placement of my artwork so that it sat perfectly within the doorway and could be seen even from the end of the hallway. At the other end of the corridor, the shape of the tiger against the white wall was ominous, it's slightly leaning, pensive pose giving the sense of an impending encounter. It also made my tiger appear as if observing down the corridor, and audience to the exhibition and display of human endeavour just as much as any person walking past would be. It begins to open a suggestion of dialogue and that perhaps as we examine and fascinate over other exotic living beings on the planet, perhaps they also examine us. What is the likelihood that what they see is favourable on us? What kind of impression are we, as a species, giving? Putting my work in the doorway like this, and on the wall it was also gave the scenario some extra character, similar if not identical to outdoor architecture.

I was happy I had come in ahead to prepare this element of my piece, as now I was completely done with the element of my design which needed a projector and tomorrow would only need to do the detailing and shading overtop.  It also gave me time to think about and control the placement of the design myself, away from the hustle and bustle which would inevitably be starting tomorrow! I must admit it was certainly a lot nicer being able to create a piece of wall art inside, at daytime, away from the elements and not constantly looking over my shoulder! I was interested to see how the piece changed when the rest of the exhibition is installed around it, and whether the association with an established event will lessen or strengthen the street element of my project.