WORK SHOP ABOUT SWAP EDITIONS OBJECT | MULTIPLE
> ESXLA RESIDENCY IN LOS ANGELES
In 2015 i was lucky to be offered a residency at ESXLA an artist run studios situated to the east of Downtown Los Angeles. In the month preceding the studio residency I travelled around California and Arizona, visiting a range of locations from vast desert boneyards full of decommissioned aeroplanes to architectural sites and natural monuments.
> ESXLA RESIDENCY IN LOS ANGELES
While resident at ESXLA (an artist run studio and gallery situated on the east side of Downtown LA) I spent a lot of time exploring Los Angeles on foot. Walking around nowhere places, investigating the infrastructure of the unforgiving tinseltown metropolis. I journeyed the entire 38km length of Sunset Blvd on foot from its start by my studio in East Downtown to Inceville where it meets the Pacific ocean. I went on an architectural treasure hunt to find all the Frank Lloyd buildings, including getting shouted at by security while attempting to take a photo outside the Ennis House (exterior used in Blade Runner) I spoke to scientists at the UCL Meteorite museum. I spent a lot of time in Home Depot, and I got quite obsessed with finding The Terminator's high speed chase locations down the concrete LA River. I also met some interesting if not slightly scary people on buses.
Travelling further into the California Desert, visited Joshua Tree National Park, Palm Springs and the Chino Canyon wilderness of the Mt. San Jacinto State Park before driving south past miles and miles of factory farmed cattle, and on the ecological disaster that is The Salton Sea. Crossing the state lines into Arizona, passed miles of Snowbird RVs through Yuma and stumbled across a Seaworld in a deserted Phoenix shopping centre, before geeking out with more Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. Stayed on a golf course that had a cell phone tower disguised as a massive fake cactus. Drank a lot of Tequila in Tuscon, and spent a day at the failed 80s environmental experiment 'Big Brother meets Jurassic Park' Biosphere 2. A spectacular rain storm hit while visiting the cacti at the Saguaro National Park and later that evening the night was alight with meteorites darting across the sky.
Travelling further into the California Desert, visited Joshua Tree National Park, Palm Springs and the Chino Canyon wilderness of the Mt. San Jacinto State Park before driving south past miles and miles of factory farmed cattle, and on the ecological disaster that is The Salton Sea. Crossing the state lines into Arizona, passed miles of Snowbird RVs through Yuma and stumbled across a Seaworld in a deserted Phoenix shopping centre, before geeking out with more Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. Stayed on a golf course that had a cell phone tower disguised as a massive fake cactus. Drank a lot of Tequila in Tuscon, and spent a day at the failed 80s environmental experiment 'Big Brother meets Jurassic Park' Biosphere 2. A spectacular rain storm hit while visiting the cacti at the Saguaro National Park and later that evening the night was alight with meteorites darting across the sky.
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> A DAY TRIP TO THE BONE YARD
As someone who has an eye for scrap and discarded stuff, one of the best experiences was the chance to spend a day roaming around a vast desert of aeroplanes in the Arizona desert. Due to the hot temperatures and low humidity deserts are the perfect place to store and preserve machines like aeroplanes as they don't rust. Seeing endless rows of planes parked like cars in the desert felt very surreal. I got quite obsessed with the layers of latex paint that encapsulate the planes and keep their insides dust free and I made this short film on my iphone. |
Tucson Boneyard from robin tarbet on Vimeo. |
I took very little in the way of art materials, and i brought very little back to the UK. It was genuinely refreshing to have an empty studio as a blank space to play with whatever materials I found. The residency was a time to absorb, excite and experiment with no requirements to create outcomes or public presentations. It was the perfect base to gather ideas, take inspiration from my surroundings and translate experiences into potential work. Below are a couple of works I documented while working in the studio.
> MADE IN THE USA
Dimensions 70 x 100 x 70cm
Sculpture made from the remains of found tyres on Sunset Boulevard shown here at ESXLA Los Angeles.
Dimensions 70 x 100 x 70cm
Sculpture made from the remains of found tyres on Sunset Boulevard shown here at ESXLA Los Angeles.
> CRANE
Dimensions 50 x 50 x 200 cm
Paper construction shown here at ESXLA Los Angeles.
Dimensions 50 x 50 x 200 cm
Paper construction shown here at ESXLA Los Angeles.
> AMERICAN CHEESE
Dimensions 20 x 24cm
Relief print on paper - Edition of 6.
Made by inking up a slice of American Swiss cheese and directly printing it on to paper.
Dimensions 20 x 24cm
Relief print on paper - Edition of 6.
Made by inking up a slice of American Swiss cheese and directly printing it on to paper.
> PAPER STRUCTURE
Dimensions 300 x 300 x 300 cm
Paper construction shown here at ESXLA Los Angeles.
Dimensions 300 x 300 x 300 cm
Paper construction shown here at ESXLA Los Angeles.
