Shane Humberstone – Page 3 – The Collection Of…

Like Clockwork

George Creighton / February 14, 2013February 26, 2013 / Possessed Time, Public Responses, Research, Space, Video Research

“In order to help us focus our copious amounts of ideas, we needed to find a way to get the project on its feet. Correlating with our fascination with the clock in gallery 3, it had to be an exercise that would involve everyone constantly, and producing a mechanical like performance. I decided that although it was a small space and we had spent several hours in it, we needed to look at it in a more performance base way. This was the reasoning behind each person walking around freely, although with the intention of covering as much ground as possible. As well as this we passed a ball around linking our separate entities together. Furthermore reflecting back to the mechanism of a clock, bringing seperate things together and making them work effortlessly, which we intended each transfer to be.

Each time we did the exercise we added a different discpline, whether it be the way we move or the way we passed the ball.

The exercise took 6 minutes to do. Our performance is intending to be six hours long so in theory it could be a microcosm of the final performance.

Can you keep up with the ball?”

Author: Shane Humberstone

For our first attempt, this was a more natural movement, exploring the space with the only artificial element being passing the ball between us. This was used to help us engage with the space and interact with each other. We felt that this was useful as it showed us what it was like to work as part of a unit whilst still moving naturally, much like the mechanics of a clocks interior.

We then experimented with the concept of bio-mechanics whic included moving our bodies in time with the monotonous rhythm of a ticking clock. This made us consider the possibility of a more regulated piece, dominated by time and having time dictate our movements to us. The videos also show the reactions of an audience surprised by an experience they were not expecting. Several individuals were hesitant in entering the room, whilst others did not do so at all.

The final endeavour was one which was completely at odds with the first, in so far that it was mechanical, utterly devoid of natural movement and totally regulated. We found this to be useful as it challenged our previous conceptions of the space, forcing us to move differently and observe aspects of the room and displays we had hitherto ignored.

After our excercise, we interviewed members of the public who had briefly observed our performance. It was intriguing to hear their response to how the use of sound in the room did not distract from our visual display but was still recognised. They also said how the darkness of the room helped to channel their attention on to the performance. One individual compared our use of the concept of time with their own performance of an Ibsen text, also correlating with time. He explained how his exploration of the text included a coordination between human movement and the ticking of a clock.

Authors: Chloe Doherty, George Creighton, James Barker, Tabitha Hilton-Berry, Stephanie Jackson

Gallery 3

Tabitha Hilton-Berry / February 12, 2013May 6, 2013 / Possessed Time, Public Responses, Research, Space

On first visit to The Usher Gallery, we felt gallery 3 had the most potential as a performance space due to its contrast to the other rooms in the building. All the other rooms in The Usher are light, airy and traditionally decorated, whereas gallery 3 is dark, enclosed and contemporary.

We found that there are many fascinating aspects about this particular room, one of which being that the items on display are withheld from their intended purpose because they are in glass cases. The items here are practical but with artistic value, as opposed to other features in the gallery such as the oil paintings and sculptures.

Left: Tea set collection in Gallery 3

The Usher Gallery as a whole displays many items from James Usher’s personal clock collection, most of which appear in gallery 3. As you enter the room, the first thing you see is the Grandfather clock and the pocket watch collection, this is such a dominant feature in the room that it influenced our ideas for a performance focusing on time, in this space.

IMG-20130212-WA0004 Left: Grandfather clock Left: Pocket watch collection

The lack of natural light means the only perception of time in the room is from the clocks, this makes it ideal for a performance on time as we can manipulate how time is perceived.

The room is midnight blue colour and has a very low ceiling creating an enclosed and compact space to work in. The fact it is a room built within a room makes it feel claustrophobic and uncomfortable, which is an aspect we would like the audience to experience whilst watching our piece. The contemporary style of the room is unusual to be in a Georgian building, this intrigued us and was our inspiration to perform here.

Initial Response to ‘The Collection’ and ‘The Usher Gallery’

Chloe Doherty / January 25, 2013March 5, 2013 / Possessed Time, Research, Space

After finding out our chosen site, we decided to visit The Collection as a member of the public to gain a firsthand understanding of the space. Whilst there, we explored the current ‘Past to Present’ exhibition and this inspired the beginnings of our ideas for possibly creating a piece focusing around the progression of time. A stand-out feature of this exhibition was the ‘Languages from the Past’ audio talk, which elaborated on different readings from Lincolnshire’s past. The use of headphones was a departure from the traditional museum experience. This ingenuity reminds us of the work of Janet Cardiff and inspired us towards the idea of incorporating audio and other sensory stimulants, moving our piece away from a purely visual field.

When exiting the exhibition, we noticed a faint whispering, only later to discover speakers integrated within the walls. We found this to be an interesting device to capture visitor’s attention without overpowering the rest of the exhibition.

The museum, however, was only half of our designated site so we ventured across to The Usher Gallery. This was an inspiring place with a number of contrasting exhibits; ranging from the classical statues of antiquity to a modern photographic interpretation of an African-American ‘Last Supper’.

‘The Last Supper’ by Faisal Abdu’Allah 2003

Incorporated in between these era’s, were representations of British arts featuring pastoral scenes. One particularly intriguing feature was the 1795 ‘Pineapple Dish’. The fact that something we consider as common and everyday as the pineapple was seen as exotic and important enough to have its own item of specific crockery, highlights how perspective can change over the passage of time.

L: ‘Pineapple Dish’ by William ‘Quaker’ Pegg 1795

The idea of time is something which was highlighted as the one constant throughout the Usher Gallery; almost every room featured some form of clock or timepiece. This triggered the idea of time as an abstract concept as opposed to something which we can attempt to define on the face of a clock. This led us to using the notion of time as a stimulus for our piece, focusing on the various perceptions of time such as: a historical epoch, something quantified by the use of watches and clocks, the aesthetics of both the inner and outer workings, and the way in which time can be used as a healer but equally recognized as a force of decay.

Authors: Chloe Doherty, James Barker, Shane Humberstone, Tabitha Hilton-Berry

Psychogeographic Mapping- Dériving Lincoln

Shane Humberstone / January 25, 2013April 20, 2013 / Possessed Time, Space

“the study of the precise laws and specific effects of the geographical environment, consciously organized or not, on the emotions and behavior of individuals” (Debord, G, 1955)

As part of our research into Site Specific performance, we looked into the concept of psychogeographic mapping. Due to Lincoln’s architecture, you are instinctively drawn towards what centres the city, which is the award winning Steep Hill, and the city’s iconic Cathedral. Despite this, as we tried to gain a deeper knowledge of both the physical and spiritual aspects of the city, we found ourselves gradually deriving away from the centre.

When we explored Lincoln in greater depth we documented the various buildings and sites in order to answer the set questions we were given.

Where would be the best place in Lincoln to see old people holding hands?

Being the first time we had attempted this, we were still conscious of our preconceptions. This then drew us towards where we naturally expected to see elderly citizens, which was Marks and Spencer. Despite our initial thoughts, as we delved further into the practice of deriving we found the following road sign.

This then became a stimulus for us to consider that when crossing roads, especially in icy conditions, elderly people hold hands for safety.

Where is the best place in Lincoln to go sledging in the snow?

Whilst we were dériving, we were constantly walking up hills, any of which would have been ideal for sledging. However, when we found ourselves behind the castle, we noticed that between the steepness of the slope and the backdrop of the castle that this would be the most appealing site we came across and would create the best experience.

Where would be the best place in Lincoln to pour your heart out?

Initially we found this pub, which we thought would be the ideal place to pour your heart out, although later in the day we came across this graveyard. This made us take into consideration the raw emotion and effect that graveyards can have upon people, which allows them to open up their souls and freely pour their heart out.

Where would be the worst place in Lincoln to sleep rough?

In contrast to the beauty and awe of the castles architecture, we stumbled across some public toilets. It then occurred to us that if were to sleep rough, this would be one of the worst places.

Where’s the best place in Lincoln to shout without being heard?

With this question we were lead towards the nightclub Home because nightclubs are extremely loud places, and often when you shout you can not be heard. We then discovered a secluded car park/storage area situated behind the nightclub. Here we found that between the noises of the generators and the cars on the road, when we shouted it went unnoticed.

Where’s the best place in Lincoln to fall in love?

The easiest way to fall in love is through talking to someone, and with the advances in technology you can reach and talk to people wherever you are. Due to the increased use of mobile phones the magic of communication has been stripped away from society. In contemporary society phone boxes are a rarity, seen as art opposed to being a necessity. With this in mind, talking to someone from a phone box adds to the beauty of conversation. The combination of who you are talking to and where you are calling them from creates an ideal environment for falling in love.

Where’s the best place in Lincoln to witness true beauty?

True beauty can come in many forms, it can be aesthetic or as we found, spiritual. During our derieving we found a Y.M.C.A. training centre.

“Inspire. Develop. Transform.”
Having read their slogan we felt that what could be more beautiful that someone who commits themselves to bettering society, helping those of a greater need.

Where’s the worst place in Lincoln to be alone?

As we ventured up the hill we noticed the police station. This shouted out to us as a place full of anguish and despair. Not only are you put in a cold, dank cell, you are also alone and quite possibly scared.

Where’s the best place in Lincoln to see a ghost?

Edward Parker Charlesworth was a pioneer in mental health. As a monument to a man who helped many tortured souls we believed that if ghosts were to seek comfort then they would be drawn towards here. With the statue being in a gated desolate site, there was further potential for an eerie atmosphere.

“The spectacle is not a collection of images, but a social relation among people, mediated by images.”
(Debord, G, 1984)

Work Cited:
– Debord, G (1955) “Introduction to a Critique of Urban Geography” Les Lèvres Nues (6)
– Debord, G (1984) Society of the Spectacle, unpaginated, Black & Red: U.S.

Authors: Chloe Doherty and Shane Humberstone