The Screen
Alastair Duncanthe [...] space
09 March - 30 March 2019
Metal and in particular barbed wire, has been a feature in much of my work since 1998 when, listening to the developing peace talks in Northern Ireland where I grew up, the symbolism of the barb to represent conflict became a means by which, through my weaving, I could express something of my anxiety about the situation. The contrast or conflict between the sharp barbs and the soft wool of my tapestries also played a part, not just in the ideas presented in the finished works, but also in their production.
The barbs came to represent not only political and social conflict, but also personal conflict and so, when suffering a period of high stress and depression, it seemed pertinent to use the material again - in this instance as an allusion to inner turmoil.
One of the video “interventions” is set in the Botanic Garden of Wales while the other shows a walk through a local Winter woodland and is accompanied by a whine which builds in volume and represents my experience of tinnitus. The sound is permanent and increases to an intense vibration depending on the level of stress.