Counterpart began as a special commission for the Duke of Devonshire and Chatsworth House. It comprises two contrasting blocks: one dark and light-absorbing; the other translucent and crystalline. The dark block is made from coal and references the 18th Century coal tunnel mines at Chatsworth. The glowing transparent block, made from resin, evokes the extensive mineral collection begun by Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire in the 18th Century.
The installation is also a study of the material relationship between artworks on display throughout the house and the plinths upon which they sit. At times the natural splendour of a marble plinth completely eclipses the sculpture it was built to support, challenging the perceived hierarchies between art, nature and function. The blocks serve as both sculpture and bench - switching between protagonist and supporting roles depending on whether they are sat on or viewed remotely. Often they hover somewhere in the grey area between our perceptions.
For Counterpart II, the blocks have been spliced together, creating a more intimate, yet jarring juxtaposition. The unification of the two materials into a singular linear element hints at the transformative power of carbon in its sliding scale of purity and molecular structure - from coal and graphite at one end, to diamond at the other.
MATERIALS
Coal, Resin, Tar, Steel, Wood, Jesmonite, Acrylic, Leds
