TRANS-MUTATION by David Kefford

June 13 - Sept 19

David Kefford was commissioned to radically alter the object status of the Taxi for the final exhibition in the three year Taxi as Gallery series. The process of making ‘TRANS-MUTATION’ was a collaborative one, involving local people - Troy Holliday, Jon Falconer and Trisha McCrae. David led the 4 day organic and intuitive process, involving ideas from the team and suggested by the assembled materials which included: chairs, lampshades, footballs, flowerpots, buckets, a baby bath and plastic piping. This project was substantially supported by materials donated by Marlands – a packaging and stationary company – many many thanks to them.

David says “TRANS-MUTATION", as a project was particularly appealing to me because it enabled me to expand upon my current studio based practice and push the boundaries of my work in a new direction. The idea of making a large semi-permanent outdoor sculpture is something I have been considering for a number of years. I wanted the new creation to live and breathe on its own. A particular aim was to give the sculpture a personality and character. It needed to contain qualities that people could relate to on a personal level and to recognise as human-like feelings – charm, vulnerability, isolation, clumsiness, poise.

David describes the process of making : "Sculpturally the original structure was made using very low-tech methods, such as cutting, binding, wrapping, layering in an expedient process. Due to the time-scale ( 4 days) the main objective was to cover the cab as quickly as possible. Once the main shape had been covered other medium sized found and donated objects were attached to it. Such bizarre things as baby baths, space hoppers, flower pots, lampshades, chairs were used. Once the main shape had began to transform it was then important to begin to be more particular with the way the whole shape was looking. Using the tape to ‘draw’ spatially around the added objects it was easy to begin to gain a rhythm and flow to the object. Your eye began to be led around the whole form, creating moments of beauty and refinement juxtaposed with horror and grotesqueness.

TRANS-MUTATION provoked a curious and imaginative response from the local community. A wipe board was placed next to the sculpture inviting responses to a range of questions. Each completed board was photographed and then wiped and replaced with another "starter" question.

click on the small images for a larger view >

---

David Kefford has exhibited his work throughout the UK in numerous group and solo exhibitions including The Gallery, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Derby Museum and Art Gallery, James Hockey Gallery, Farnham, Dean Clough Galleries, Halifax, Huddersfield Art Gallery, Catalyst Arts, Belfast, One in the Other, London and Rockwell, London. He recently held his first Solo exhibition in London at 1,000,00mph Project Space and is currently Artist-in-Residence in the Gallery at Wysing Arts Centre where he is making site-specific work in relation to the architecture. For more information on this project please visit www.wysingarts.org . In September 2005 a National Touring exhibition of David’s work has been organised by the University of Hertfordshire Galleries, Rugby Museum and Art Gallery and 20-21 Visual Arts Centre. A fully illustrated catalogue will accompany this project.