Thursday, April 23, 2009

Tanya Axford: "There Is Nothing Left Of The Sea But Its Sound" LOCWS, Swansea, UK



TANYA AXFORD

There Is Nothing Left Of The Sea But Its Sound

Unit 1a, National Waterfront Museum Square

Tanya Axford’s artwork stems from her discovery of Swansea’s rich maritime history and in particular the city’s relationship to the dramatic and powerful impact of the sea. She sees this within elements of Swansea’s regeneration and ‘reinvention’ and specifically with the redevelopment of the LC, the newly revamped Swansea Leisure Centre.

The LC, a multi-faceted water park, has taken the natural phenomenon of the sea that is unpredictable, wild and unmanageable, and created a compact version that is highly controllable making the ‘drama’ of the sea safe and entertaining.

Axford has created a video installation that plays with this relationship, giving an illusion of the sea as a storm emerges. Accompanied by a dramatic soundtrack, the waves reach a crescendo and, as the piece continues, the true landscape is revealed.

Tanya Axford was born in Kent and lives and works in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Axford completed a BA Fine Art at Newcastle University and a MA Fine Art at Goldsmiths College, London and is currently represented by Workplace Gallery, Gateshead.