Vent

 
 
 

I developed my work in a smoking piece where I performed to camera. I framed only the mouth and part of the nostrils. I was inspired by the manic behavior of a bird preparing for things to come while building its nest. I wanted to express human behavior as a reaction to a similar kind of stress. There is an element of being suspended in time when the viewer is left thinking ‘ Has something happened?’ or ‘Is something about to happen’? There is anonymity about the piece. There is so much undetectable about the person - who they are, their gender, what they are feeling and where they are. The large scale of the piece presented the viewer with an animal like, visceral and stern creature. The sound of breathing engulfed the room confronting the observer and causing them to be uncomfortable. This caused a greater awareness of one’s anatomy. It was also womb like suggesting protection, vulnerability and confinement. The atmospherics were reminiscent of industrial sounds suggesting the mechanics and functioning of a network or organism. The imagery of the mouth accompanied with sound was strong without the addition of a cigarette.

Copyright 2010 Angela Molloy. Northern Ireland Multi-media and performance artist based in Belfast.