The Nature of Performance.

Artist Caspar Fairhall's compelling work Current demonstrates Fairhall's continual evolution of practice and deeply connects with the viewer as it illustrates the theatricality of the natural world.

The multimedia treasure is both animation and drawing. Fairhall's work utilises live data to track the changes in sea surface temperature monitoring the fluctuating behaviour. Starting from a void the work slowly emerges, gathering intensity, as the data streams the artwork self generates, each second unique and unlike the previous.

The drawing mimics the troughs and planes of the animation. At first the viewer looks at a mountain, naive in the observation that this is just a mountain, we slowly realise that in fact the drawing is a snapshot of the animation, a moment in time which speaks to the ephemerality of natural world.

The rise and fall of energy resonate, and I felt an inexplicable connection to this work, which is part performance and part landscape. I ponder if it is nature itself performing as I observe the work unfold. What is it about the piece that connects deep within? Is it the organic nature of the piece, is it the energy?

I would be excited to see this project implemented on a larger scale. The potential for this work is astounding when considering the chance to compare data sets of natural performance from various countries, consider the use of this medium to monitor political data the possibilities are really interesting!

Watch the artist's interview below.