Touching Visions: Speculative Imaginaries

Abstract

Throughout the enforced stasis of lockdowns and without studio access, I began thinking about the process of “epistemological gathering”, a term outlined by artist Nanna Debois Buhl, asking myself how it may be possible to use the air to make a series of works with a lightness of touch entitled ‘Touching Visions: Speculative Imaginaries’. In parallel, and along a line of singularity expected of a rhizomatic practice, this body of work partially evolved as a written response to a question posed by the Venti journal “How to Feel the Air”, since published online. The progressive evolution of some of these ideas is presented in this reflective paper. 

Amongst the recent chaos within moments of stillness, stepping outside into the air presented an opportunity to reflect upon an ecology of practice that overlaps elements of drawing, printing, and moving images through a process of exploring materials. Throughout this extraordinary time, whilst caring for family, I observed more closely the details of what I saw more expansively through joining a variety of online seminars across a range of subjects including a discussion on democracy and a reading group focussed on the politics of care.