Unsettled boundary

The ideas behind Unsettled Boundary came from happening upon a farm boundary where cans on a fence were being used to warn of intruders. However, the wind was activating the cans and producing a rhythmical sound that I found comforting and mediative. I was fascinated by the duality of the construction – something that could soothe, yet agitate; something musical but also functioning as an alarm; something made from rough, cheap materials, but also a valuable thing. The boundary, which usually keeps people out, was musical and inviting, and drew me closer.

In the UK we have a long history of containing land and having ownership of it. Through this work I am questioning whether a boundary can be a place of enquiry rather than a place of limitations and restraint. I am using the convergence of two or more things coming together to form a new whole. By pulling focus on the space between these differences, an awareness can be formed, something that can bring the ‘I’ or ‘me’ into the space. The work is constantly in flux, the cans moving and sounding at any moment. An awareness of being present can be uncomfortable, but by questioning and valuing everyday life and being and doing in the moment, it can sometimes produce liberating thinking.