Blown up Sheds and Dementia. The space between our thoughts
Blown Up Sheds and Dementia
The space between our thoughts
When I was a child there was an allotment at the top of the road. In the allotment was a shed and patch of land no longer tended. In the shed were rusty tins, dirt, cobwebs and a box of matches. I would go out of the shed and light them.
Today’s inspiration is Cornelia Parker’s Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View. This is a piece of art where she had selected material for a shed which the Army used to blow up for her. The pieces were collected and suspended in the Tate Modern as though the explosion were still taking place. A light source enabled the fragments to be lit, and shadows cast within the structure and the surrounding space. It appeared that the fragments were still moving away from each other, but it also showed the importance of space.
In an interview about her work, Cornelia described how a shed is “where you store things you cannot quite throw away.”
“By blowing it up taking away safe space, place where a personal history of objects no longer in use - but not quite finished with - is stored. Perhaps creating a new space”
Cold dark matter which we cannot see but we know it exists.
Her works of art were described by Lisa le Feuvre as “initiating another conversation.”. A gift of this is to invite others to have a conversation.
To begin, consider the shed as a metaphor for our minds, where we have ideas that have served their purpose but we’re not ready to let go.
In previous blogs we’ve looked at light and shadows. How light can illuminate possibilities: illuminate the ideas in your shed so you can understand them. Shadows can be a source of strength and inspiration. This piece originally drew me in with its shadows. Observe the shadows cast by and onto ideas.
The pieces of the shed can represent our ideas and we see how these can be illuminated, and cast shadows.
However, what of the space in between? The cold dark matter. The connection between our ideas, light and shadow. What is known to be there but not seen?
In this piece there is more space than object by volume. Particularly if we consider the space around the structure.
In this Parker’s Cold Dark Matter the objects or ideas are moving away from the centre. Creating more space, creating a greater distance between each object, and more space for connection.
As the objects move away in the explosion, how do our ideas move during our lives?
What if our ideas are in a shed that is slowly exploding with age and in particular, dementia?
Initially, we keep the oldest memories, those we’ve held for the longest time. The keys, or purse that we only put down in the shed for a moment is forgotten. The photo’s of family, the first bike, the sledge may still be there. There is now more space, and maybe this has a value that we don’t always understand or appreciate.
The space in my mind
When I stop and can’t remember what it is I’ve forgotten
An object that moved further out from my immediate touch
Today I may wish to still look at it
To remember
Tomorrow I may let it go
A new space will be there
Today I can use it to let others in
Tomorrow it may simply be.
Show your work
Link to Corrnelia Parker Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View
Photograph edited with Adobe Lightbox. Original Photo by Bill McBee on Unsplash
