Hydroponic installation made for Cash Crop, a series of week long public presentations by invited guests on the theme of shopping and consumption. Fabrica, Brighton.
Brought up on a co-operative of market gardens in Sussex, I migrated to the city highlife as soon as was possible. Loitered at art school and on the fringes of the TV industry for too long and now, if I have to, would describe myself as a video artist doing sculpture.
The restructuring of this society, and all societies on a egalitarian basis has been my main concern since I was little and somehow this always seems to seep out in my work. But slowly though, as I veer towards death I can feel the trickle down effect of spiritualism taking me over which is as confusing to me as it has been to all humans throughout history.
My mum and dad grow lettuce, celery, cucumbers, peppers and aubergines. So I have had many bad childhood experiences with compost and manure. But these compare nothing to the crap that comes down on high from the Big Three supermarkets (Sainsbury’s, Asda and Tesco) that my parents supply. Basically the supermarkets are running a price fixing cartel that is to disadvantage of everyone except the companies themselves. Dad describes them as the new feudal barons and it’s certainly how they behave.
So, if this art piece isn’t about godliness or the human condition I hope it’s saying grow you own, buy local or forever feed on a bland, shrink-wrapped and unnutritious diet of radiated pap.
