Documentation of THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER audiovisual installation at The Word, South Shields

Documentation of THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER, an audiovisual installation by Helen Shaddock exhibited at The Word, South Shields is now available to watch on YouTube.



https://youtu.be/CSQHdq0ool0


THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER is the culmination of a project funded by the Arts Council England Grants for the Arts. Helen Shaddock worked with artists, researchers, academics, Mental Health organisations and a range of individuals to investigate visual and auditory hallucinations.

Following an intense period of research and reflection, Shaddock gathered a collection of words from which a soundtrack was created through a collaboration with artist/musician Sarah Grundy. Using a loop pedal, Grundy formed a range of rhythmic patterns from the words. Shaddock edited these further to create the soundtrack for the audio-visual installation, integrating field recordings and sounds produced by Drone Ensemble. Drone Ensemble is an experimental sound group in which Shaddock is a member, that uses handmade acoustic instruments to emit vast, deep, sonorous drones.        
For the preview of the exhibition, Sarah Grundy performed a re-working of the installation soundtrack (see separate video documentation available on YouTube).

Q & A with Helen Shaddock in relation to THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER at The Word

To coincide with my exhibition, THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER, I was interviewed by Emma Ormiston at The Word about the audiovisual installation.

Read the Q and A here:

http://theworduk.org/q-a-with-helen-shaddock/

My current exhibition reviewed by Sarah Davies for Corridor 8

Helen Shaddock: 
Themselves Here Together

• The Word, South Shields

by Sarah Davies

The installation at The Word, South Shields is a repeating sequence of projected images and accompanying soundtrack, a montage of voices speaking, whispering or singing disjointed words and phrases. The recording was produced by vocalist musician Sarah Grundy then edited and layered by Helen Shaddock to accompany her projected images and animations.

The words were provided by Shaddock after spending time with groups such as Unusual Experiences at Broadacre House. Here the artist spent time with people who have experienced auditory or visual hallucinations, with a desire to express something of that experience to her audience.

The installation certainly conveys a sense of disorientation, with images flashing up at different points around the room, using all the walls in the space. The viewer is forced to turn this way and that, trying to keep up but always missing something. Frantic, aggressive lines like scratches or scars criss-cross in fast succession as the voices build to a chaotic discordant frenzy. Moments of relief come as softer images take over, pastel coloured discs like microscope slides which linger a little longer.

Shaddock’s research revealed that often those who hear internal voices find the dialogue at times reassuring and comforting, whilst at others it can be disturbing and destructive. These contrasting effects are expressed through the use of pace, volume, colour and mark-making in this piece. The barrage of light, movement and sound, in which it is impossible to distinguish more than the occasional word (‘lose ourselves without… forever… everything… everyone…’) give the viewer an experience of sensory overload, struggling to know what to focus on or where to look. In the more harmonious moments the voices come together like a monastic chant or plainsong which has a strangely soothing influence.

Shaddock is keen to maintain a hands-on approach to creating her artwork, despite it being presented ultimately in digital format. The images and animations were created by drawing, scratching or collaging directly onto 16mm film, with the later conversion from analogue to digital producing a sense of detachment, of being ‘one step removed from reality’, a state perceived by many of those who participated in Shaddock’s research. The artist’s method here makes visible the human involvement in the creative process, with the vastly magnified images refusing to hide the flecks and squiggles of imperfection.

Themselves Here Together is the result of Arts Council England funding and is on display in the StoryWorld room on level 2 of The Word, South Shields, until Thursday 21 June 2018. Opening times are Monday to Thursday: 4–6.30pm and Sundays: 1–4pm.

More about Helen Shaddock’s work and research can be found on her website.

Sarah Davies is an artist and writer based in Newcastle upon Tyne.

http://www.corridor8.co.uk/article/helen-shaddock-themselves-here-together/

Pre-performance photos

It's hard to believe that it is nearly a week since the preview of THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER, my current exhibition at The Word in South Shields. As part of the exhibition I worked in collaboration with Sarah Grundy, and they performed at the preview. Here are some photos of us prior to the amazing performance.

Mock up of audio-visual installation

When I was editing the footage for THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER, I made a mock up of the 5 screens (one of the walls is so wide that it has 2 projections) to visualise how the footage would work together as a whole. I wanted to create links between the visuals and manipulate the way the audience interacts with the space.  Here are some of the images of the mock up that I created to help me visualise the installation.

Mock up of audio-visual installation

When I was editing the footage for THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER, I made a mock up of the 5 screens (one of the walls is so wide that it has 2 projections) to visualise how the footage would work together as a whole. I wanted to create links between the visuals and manipulate the way the audience interacts with the space. Over the next few posts I will be showing some of the images of the mock up that I created to help me visualise the installation.

Mock up of audio-visual installation

When I was editing the footage for THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER, I made a mock up of the 5 screens (one of the walls is so wide that it has 2 projections) to visualise how the footage would work together as a whole. I wanted to create links between the visuals and manipulate the way the audience interacts with the space. Over the next few posts I will be showing some of the images of the mock up that I created to help me visualise the installation.

Mock up of audio visual installation

When I was editing the footage for THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER, I made a mock up of the 5 screens (one of the walls is so wide that it has 2 projections) to visualise how the footage would work together as a whole. I wanted to create links between the visuals and manipulate the way the audience interacts with the space. Over the next few posts I will be showing some of the images of the mock up that I created to help me visualise the installation.

 

Thanks to all who attended the preview of THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER at The Word

I would like to extend my thanks to all who attended the preview of THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER at The Word last night. It was really great to see such a range of people appreciating the installation and the amazing performance by Sarah Grundy. 

Please do get in touch to let me know your thoughts. Feedback is always welcome. 

You can contact me via my website http://www.helenshaddock.co.uk/

Alternatively, send me an email helen.shaddock(at)yahoo.co.uk

Performance by Sarah Grundy during THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER preview

Sarah Grundy will be performing throughout the preview of THEMSELVES HERE TOGETHER. The performance will take place on the ground floor near the building entrance and the cafe and the multiscreen audio-visual installation is on level 2 in StoryWorld.