David Cotterrell's work spans video, audio, interactive media, artificial intelligence and
hybrid technology. Derived from the artist's
journeys to Afghanistan, Monsters of
the Id tests our expectations of cinematic and media representation, presenting a
series of new works that experiment with
advanced display technologies. The exhibition
captures the disorientation of a civilian
observer within a militarised environment.
Upon entering the gallery, visitors are
immersed in a landscape that crosses the
physical and the virtual. The disquieting
Observer Effect presents viewers with a
projected image of a distant, self-absorbed
population. As audiences remain within
the space, this virtual community grows in
number and becomes distracted by their presence.
Searchlight 2 reveals illusory human
shadows traversing a low platform terrain,
suggestive of the desert landscape as seen
by an aerial drone. The unnerving movements
of this unidentified population are
computer-generated and directly mirror
the actions seen in Observer Effect.
Apparent Horizon renders immersive,
virtualised vistas of a desert landscape. As
viewers, our role hovers between sublime
reverie and the quiet anxiety between of
periods of violence. The exhibition ends
with a final cinematic flourish, enabling
visitors to consider their role in the exhibition
and its dialogue of control, observation
truth and contradiction.
Monsters of the Id is a John Hansard Gallery
exhibition co-curated with Helen Sloan,
SCAN, and is accompanied by a new, fullyillustrated
publication. The development of
the exhibition has been supported through
residencies with the Joint Forces Medical
Group in Helmand province and civilian
agencies in the northern provinces of
Afghanistan enabled by Wellcome Trust and
the RSA, and supported by a Philip Leverhulme
Prize for research, Danielle Arnaud, Sheffield
Hallam University, Wellcome Trust and Arts
Council England.
For further information about David Cotterrell visit http://www.cotterrell.com/
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Lower section, top to bottom:
Observer Effect, 2012
Searchlight 2, 2012
Apparent Horizon, 2012
Computer visualisations.
Courtesy David Cotterrell.
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