Coming Soon

The piece opens a window into a pretty grim looking Edinburgh flat that on first glance you would identify as being in the 1990s at the time of the first film, the room is literally littered with objects from the films narrative and also other detail to reinforce the era. Peeling and rotten walls give up music references from the original soundtrack and show scrawled messages that hint at paranoia and utter randomness as a result of being high, or low but are actually selected lines from the cult song that is synonymous to the film - Underworld’s ‘Born Slippy’. A dirtied window casts light into the room whilst offering a grey view out to the Edinburgh Castle, the window also symbolises the good and the bad that exists through the dark forces that are let into the room from outside (drugs bought from street dealers, stolen goods to feed their habit) and also representing light through the darkness, a different life exists beyond their four walls.

Danny Boyles’ film was eye-openingly brutal and real, it was incredibly cool and tinged with surreal sinister moments such as the scene where the dead baby crawls the ceiling in Rentons’ nightmare. I wanted to acknowledge this and the randomness of parts of the film, to create a kind of ‘WTF’ detail so the baby is within the scene but a plastic doll, taped to the ceiling by his mates. Just a bizarre prank by those who are so high and entrapped that they could climb the walls themselves or is it done in a much more sinister way? An ageing TV plays the classic goal scored by Scotlands’ Archie Gemmill against Holland in the 1978 World Cup, the commentary from the goal spoken by Barry Coleman has also been immortalised within the scene, further reinforcing the characters obsession for ‘that goal’.

However when you look through into the next room (immersed in an orange glow to play on the colour ways and graphical execution of the films’ marketing) you will see certain objects that are placed to confuse. iPads weren’t invented in 1996?! The country didn’t vote for independence either? That is because it isn’t 1996, it is 2017 - the time of T2 Trainspotting - the sequel. Through the characters addictions and their demons growing ever taller behind them time and ultimately life has stood still for the past 2 decades. No money, no hope, just a biting reality that the bell of age has rang loudly in their heads for way too long. How can you see clearly if the sunlight is behind you? You can’t see your path if you are always looking backwards, roll Archie Gemmill. I set out to create a scene that shows a walk through from room to room that represents the journey in life, not the entire lifecycle but from that point of seemingly no return to embracing the power of ones’ choice, choose life. The brightest window in the room signifies that point of hopefully no return.

My aim was truly do justice to this epic piece of British film making and to embrace being lucky enough to be part of such a great era. I wanted to show the harshness of their life dominated by drugs, to cast light into the darkest corners and to create a intense piece of art that fans of the film would love spotting all of the references but I also wanted to add tiny details that look a little deeper at the impact of the abuse, how it can release a positive change in a suppressed soul, representing an evolution, a transition albeit a temporary one. On the flip side how it can completely and utterly crush goodness and regress the most positive person - this is subtle within the piece as I didn’t want it to detract or confuse but look through the smoke to find the chrysalis, caterpillar and butterfly, or is it the other away around.

Choose Life.

My intention was to create a beautiful, intriguing scene that progressed from darkness to light as you move upwards, not just visually but conceptually. This piece really is a case of what lies beneath the surface, the murky loch bed is a blend of eerie reeds and shadows, algae covered rocks that showcase all that is bad about mans’ impact here and it is where Nessie rests in pieces. Coins from an old crown to present day currency are scattered on the rock, symbolising how for years and years people have flocked to the water and quite literally thrown their money into the loch, effectively making a wish that they will see her. Vintage binoculars (made in Inverness), most likely fallen overboard feature an etched on image of the monster designed to trick, possibly a guided tour from way back?

The commercial aspect is further represented by the blackened and cracking soft toy, possibly cast into the water in disappointment. You might also spot an old abacus in the shadows, showing that this isn’t some quick hatched scheme to deceive and disappoint. I have laid a solitary thistle to embrace Scotland here, possibly as a gesture towards Nessie. Littering is a huge consequence of the scores of people who flood to the area, this is represented by a rusting drinks can and a bottle of whisky - also included as a light-hearted nod to those who might have had one too many before they claim to have seen their monster, after all a monster does so often surface when alcohol is involved. Look through the murkiness of the water and you’ll see an old wreck, a feature that is prominent within the vast loch whilst also reinforcing the damaging impact man has had on Nessies environment.

Moving upwards we see her spirit rising up and swimming beautifully towards the light which has been created to have a heaven-like quality to it, she is no longer hounded and hindered, she is finally free to rest in pieces. Ultimately I have strived to create something very different to what exists, to make you look and think a little deeper and hopefully the real monster might just surface.

The whale is portrayed as a monster and appears in top ten sea monsters of all time all over the internet. Was he actually a monster or was he simply provoked for years on end? Who is hunting who here? They say that everyone, no matter how placid has a breaking point and my interpretation looks at the story from this angle. Angry seas, boats caught in the monsters jaws saturate any image search - I have kept well away from that and pushed to portray a scene of devastation, of sheer terror, in a beautiful light that is the complete opposite yet ultimately showing the same result.

I have chosen a calm, serene seascape to truly demonstrate the environment where the whale should swim free, not be hunted. Something so huge and powerful doesn’t need to wage war, a simple flick of its’ huge tail and it’s done. There is something much more powerful to see such a huge creature slip beneath the surface like this rather than a backward leap and crashing down, it’s what is underneath, what you can’t see that is ultimately more dangerous, more powerful.

My portrayal of the whale is one of beauty and peace. I have created the tail in a way that actually looks like a dove about to fly away towards the light. There’s no better way to symbolise peace and being set free than this and it fits perfectly with may concept that the whale can finally swim freely now that those that hunted it obsessively lay beneath him. If you look closely you can see subtle feather details, creating a tail within a tail.
My aim is that you see a beautiful scene before you are fixated with what has just happened and the untold destruction that has occurred.

The whale is finally shown in it’s true light. A solitary oar from the Pequods’ hunting boat floats in the water, opposite a single broken piece from the boat, a part of its’ mast as there is a Spanish Doubloon nailed to it, with an oily hand print where one tried to make a final grab for their reward, Captain Ahab is also inscribed on the wood. A torn section of rope just about keeps itself above the surface, torn from the harpoon that proved so futile. In the foreground there is a message in a bottle, written by Ishmael. Written in hope that his tales will be found one day, almost accepting his fate, tragic but beautiful.

Another so called monster heads into view, a shark, again - who’s killing who? In contrast and in keeping with my love for good vs evil, dolphins swim the opposing direction, head on so as to symbolise the battle between good and ‘evil’. Ultimately I have strived to create something that is beautiful and serene, with intensity but yet with remoteness, a positive message that comes from a scene of complete and utter devastation.