The Copse (parts 2 and 3)

Part of a larger body of work, The Copse refers to and extends upon Heidegger’s metaphor of a clearing (lichtung in German). Very briefly the clearing is a space where an idea or an object can be disclosed becoming part of a broader context of meaning. The Copse is not necessarily the antithesis of this metaphor but perhaps the messiness that surrounds or appears in the clearing. Keeping this in mind, Parts 2 and 3 are a direct response to the CCP gallery space both physical and historic, as well as a self-reflexive exploration of its place within the broader art context.

The Copse Parts 2 and 3 uses two trees found in Pieter Brueghel’s (the Elder) painting Gloomy Day (Early Spring) from 1565. These trees are made three-dimensional and approximately life-size reaching beyond the roof of the gallery space. Projected onto the ceiling acting as a metaphorical canopy, moving image in the form of digital animation and sound traverses the art historical canon both near and far. The work contemplates the intrusion of history, geography and architecture into the messiness of thought.

Arlo Mountford is represented by Sutton Gallery, Melbourne.