The Travellers Box

http://www.thetravellersbox.org/

When I was thinking about presenting my Travellers Box I wanted there to be a initial communication between myself and the viewer. Because for me this text was what inspired me to do this piece of work and thus they will see the mechanisms of my mind. I enjoy the fact that with any piece of work I make there is a print that will come before or later than the primary work to support the piece but maybe also certify it and give me and the audience something tangible. I hate the way my work sits on my computer hidden in the volts. So by creating this secondary element the work keeps moving and is in circulation.

Above you can see the original and my copy then below you can see the photo etched copper plate sitting in the sodium bath to remove the light sensitive coating.

So after returning from Madrid I received a email call from a artist in North London telling me she was sending the 'Travellers Box' to my address for my contribution to the online residency. The exchange was quite dis-con-jointed and the actual communication between myself and the curators of the project have been minimal this was something I guessed would change in the weeks to come, nothing to concern myself with. The package arrive as seen below and actually I found the object quite uninspiring and actually was not really interested in this project any longer. 
My initial thought was create a project with the found address on the inside of the packaging. Now I knew this was not the previous artist as she actually lived in North London, this would be some kind of Sophie Calle/ 'Amalie'2001 project creating and searching for the person at this address. Almost reaching out for some contact some human relation behind this ugly structure.

After a few days of with this box the theme of travel was popping into my mind, every day when I arrived home this object was sat in my window ready to ask me the same question. What does travel mean to you? The way it was sat in the window was reminding me of segment of a quote I previously posted."When the time comes to leave, you are troubled by great desires and the sight of clouds moving off towards the sun is strangely disquieting."

As though the box wanted to be release, to return back to its travels. I on the other-hand was not interest and just wanted to focus on planting seeds, not metaphorically, literally! I just wanted to start planting. I miss being in the garden and now summer is here I am longing for a plot of my own in which to nurture the ground beneath me to reap its fruits. 

I knew in a few days I would be travelling back to my parents and I would see which of my plants survived the winter and could prepare the ground for planting again. 

So it was at this point I came across the victor hugo quote. I don't know if it was because I was consumed with the garden but the text inspired me to combine the two projects. "To travel is to born and die in every instant." 

So I planted seeds in the Box. one instant the birth and then through the structures transit and final arrival at it next destination its final demise, that is unless the next artist decides to keep the plant. I thought what is more perfect to rebound my lack emotion connection with the previous artist than to send the next a living thing to say. 

This is me and here is my baby, my devotion. Do not deny it your care and do not deny me your attention.