In our fourth week we had the honor of hearing a floor talk by Adam Norton, whose work was on display in the UTS Gallery. He presented My Trip to Mars which attempts to portray the mental and geographical landscape of our present, through the utilisation of scientific ideas from the recent past and near future. It is a multifaceted work as it consists of videos, installations, signage and various objects, and all of which help him set the tone for his audience through this world he has so seamlessly created.
“I have always had a deep interest in science ever since school and I like to keep up with new developments. As an artist I have been able to explore the grand themes of science, like nuclear warfare, the International Space Program and other esoteric interests like UFOlogy. Space exploration, for example seems to be a great optimistic and collective endeavour where a bunch of interested humans work together to realise extraordinary achievements. I like to celebrate that mythology by recreating personalised moments of that adventure and to share them through art. Art is the best delivery system for plugging ideas directly into the human brain.” (Norton 2015).
Here Norton explains the value and importance of art on the human psyche as well as the imagination as it opens many doors to discovery. His work explores technology’s affects on the human condition. It invites the viewer to imagine a scenario where a trip to mars is possible and as easy as a trip to the corner store. Norton frames the story around space exploration and as he adventures in the video Mars Project we watch him endeavour across the extremity of this red planet. It was in actual fact set in Broken Hill, which was chosen as the location because of its extreme environment; in its own way it is slightly another planet. The video became an exploratory travel log for Norton and was initially not created to be part of the exhibition. He was wandering the land while the camera was still rolling and after watching over it, he realised what an asset to the entire experience this film was. He gives no explanation of it but instead lets the audience decide what is occurring in the film clip.
All of the speculative objects he presented such as the wearable objects- the spacesuit, and goggles that we could decide are gas proof, all of which are hinting at technology, came about individually. It was an integral process and not every item was created in one sitting; it was constantly being refined. Norton has borrowed aesthetics from movies and novels to create this future idea that sparks the imagination, as no one really lives on mars.
This interview gave my group and I inspiration for our speculative object project. We decided on creating a garment as the centerpiece that our main character would wear for protection and a reflection of the dire times he was living in. As humans, we like to create our own speculative futures, and this is what Adam Norton has presented to us.
References:
Adamnorton.net, 2015, My Trip To Mars : Adam Norton, viewed 29 October 2015, <http://www.adamnorton.net/projects/my-trip-to-mars/>.
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