Chimerascope: Journey to the Podium
Journey to the Podium' is a collaborative project between artists and top tier athletes aiming to encapsulate the essence of an athlete in training, in the lead up to the London 2012 Games. Essex County Council commissioned artists to 'adopt' an athlete supported through their Team Essex Ambassador scheme, and create an works inspired by them.
My adopted athlete is British Paralympian sailor Hannah Stodel, currently part of the British Sonar Sailing Team based at the National Sailing Academy in Weymouth, silver medallists at the IFDS World Championships at Medemblik, 2010, silver again at the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta and the Miami Olympic Classes Regatta, ISAF Sailing World Cup, Miami.
My adopted athlete is British Paralympian sailor Hannah Stodel, currently part of the British Sonar Sailing Team based at the National Sailing Academy in Weymouth, silver medallists at the IFDS World Championships at Medemblik, 2010, silver again at the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta and the Miami Olympic Classes Regatta, ISAF Sailing World Cup, Miami.
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Inspired by Hannah's role as team tactician and the interdependent nature of a three-man crew, I developed the 'Chimerascope', a series of digital animations displayed on recycled technologies inside a wood cabinet. An optical illusion, creating a three-dimensional depth that would - if real - be longer than the cabinet itself, Chimerascope reflects and refracts my experiences of Hannah's training through a kaleidoscope of the shifting conditions and constant change that she and her team deal with; it aims to mirror the illusion of ease we see them bring to competing events that that belie the complexity of knowledge and intensive work that underpins what they do. Containing the core of the work within a decorative cabinet reflects the athlete's (often hidden) core of perseverance.
You can follow the British Sonar Sailing Team at http://www.britishsonar.com Special thanks to Walter Reid for his kind support and skilled interpretation of the cabinet designs.
You can follow the British Sonar Sailing Team at http://www.britishsonar.com Special thanks to Walter Reid for his kind support and skilled interpretation of the cabinet designs.
Exhibition schedule
Chimerascope was shown at the Gibberd Gallery in Harlow from November 17 2010 to January 29 2011, alongside the other commissions. The project is now being exhibited around various Essex venues, including galleries and pre-training Camps; with a view to being shown at London 2012.
3rd Feb-31st March 2012 - Beecroft Gallery, Southend
This will be the first viewing of 2011 commissions and will be combined with 2009 and 2010 commissions, the first time the collection will be seen as a whole.
June 2012 – Westminster Hall, London
Selected works from the Journey to the Podium Collection will on show in Westminster Hall, the oldest part of Houses of Parliament, heading up the London 2012 Cultural Festival. The exhibition curator will be selecting works from the whole of the collection, details tbc.
After 2012 all the works will be permanently housed either at Hadleigh Old Fire Station, Harlow Sculpture Collection, Basildon Sporting Village, Colchester Football Stadium, Essex Record Office Digital Collection, and other sporting and cultural venues.
You can - courtesy of Essex County Council - download the 2010 Commissions catalogue or the most recent 2012 version which features work from all three years of the programme.
Chimerascope was shown at the Gibberd Gallery in Harlow from November 17 2010 to January 29 2011, alongside the other commissions. The project is now being exhibited around various Essex venues, including galleries and pre-training Camps; with a view to being shown at London 2012.
3rd Feb-31st March 2012 - Beecroft Gallery, Southend
This will be the first viewing of 2011 commissions and will be combined with 2009 and 2010 commissions, the first time the collection will be seen as a whole.
June 2012 – Westminster Hall, London
Selected works from the Journey to the Podium Collection will on show in Westminster Hall, the oldest part of Houses of Parliament, heading up the London 2012 Cultural Festival. The exhibition curator will be selecting works from the whole of the collection, details tbc.
After 2012 all the works will be permanently housed either at Hadleigh Old Fire Station, Harlow Sculpture Collection, Basildon Sporting Village, Colchester Football Stadium, Essex Record Office Digital Collection, and other sporting and cultural venues.
You can - courtesy of Essex County Council - download the 2010 Commissions catalogue or the most recent 2012 version which features work from all three years of the programme.
| 2010_jttp.pdf |
| journey_to_the_podium_2012.pdf |
Artists of the Future
In connection with Journey to the Podium, Essex County Council also ran 'Artists of the Future' where I mentored young artist Emmie Hubbard through the development of a new work which was exhibited at the Gibberd Gallery with all the other work by the commissioned artists and their mentored students. You can also read about Emmie's work for the exhibition here
