The Black Box installations present fictitious impending air disasters – freezing the scene moments before impact. Each diorama captures the deliciously traumatic instant of realisation as each tranquil world is visited by alien technology, culture and mayhem.
Black Box plays on our ambivalence about air travel – our romance with flight in conflict with our fear of losing control. These installations explore air travel in the context of the suburban countryside, creating tension by juxtaposing delight and anxiety. The only sites where air / ground fusions ‘naturally’ occur are airports, air-disasters, and air-museums.
These installations use scaled models, forced monocular ground viewpoints, and crazy perspectives – techniques I picked up from a child – to generate a thrilling fantasy.
Black Box premiered at M+R gallery in 2005 as part of the Wish List group show.