Performance: 'Lost and Giddy' with Fine Art Media graduate Mary McCarroll .

The performative dimension of this work seeks to convey a narrative through the continual transformation of the artwork, encompassing drawings and texts. Returning viewers are likely to discern alterations in the blackboard pieces, including the emergence of new writings, illustrations and symbols and the disappearance of previously observed components. These illustrations are rooted in the extensive exploration of traditional Caribbean and African philosophical thought, incorporating mythology, spirituality, and allegorical devices. The work's dynamic nature underscores the ephemeral quality of understanding and recollection, revealing often overlooked precolonial wisdom. During scheduled performances, viewers are invited to witness the creative process in an environment reminiscent of a classroom, with the artist assuming the role of the pedagogue. This setting encourages viewers to reconsider the status of marginalised cultures within the broader historical context of intellectual thought. It also prompts them to reflect on their positions regarding primitivism and naivety in art, and to engage critically with themes of art, intellect, and the colonial gaze.

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PART I KNOWLEDGE During this part, viewers will observe the artist's attempt to achieve a relaxed state, whilst writing and drawing on a board to share a composition of symbols, teachings and inner musings with reference to traditional Caribbean and African art forms. The drawings include allegorical representations, narratives, spiritual symbols and automatism—a technique the artist employs to evoke memories, depict thought forms, and enter an introspective state of consciousness. The viewer's experience is enriched by echoing music, primarily the sounds of Junkanoo drums. This segment focuses on the intuitive emergence of insights, creating an ephemeral archive of spiritual and cultural wisdom.

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PART II ERASURE In the subsequent phase, the artist adopts a structured approach, erasing prior work to overlay dense geometric shapes and extensive writing. Symbolic of the intellectual frameworks imposed by colonial society, which suppress spiritual and cultural profundity. Unlike the ephemeral nature of Part I, these geometric drawings will endure, emphasising the contrast between the transient and the enduring, the spontaneous and the structured. This permanence embodies the rigid and lasting impact of colonial structures on indigenous cultures. The act of erasure and redrawing not only signifies the fluidity of knowledge but also critiques the tension between intellectualism and mysticism.

‘LOST AND GIDDY’ PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Friday 7th June Part I & II 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM, 30 MINUTES
Saturday 8th June PART I: 10AM -12PM ,2 HOURS
Monday 10th June PART II 10AM - 12PM , 2 HOURS
Tuesday 11th June PART I : 10AM -11AM, 1 HOUR
Wednesday 12th June PART I : 10AM -11AM, 1 HOUR
Thursday 13th June PART II : 10AM -11AM, 1 HOUR
Friday 14th June PART II : 10AM -11AM, 1 HOUR

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Image: Lost and Giddy, installation view 2024, chalk on blackboard, 244cm x 122cm