CRUDELY PLUCKING THE STRINGS
Spit & Sawdust, Cardiff
Thurs 10 May-Mon 12 Nov
With this exhibition, the London-based artist Chris Alton is set to baffle people with his rather bizarre portrayal of a flood. But for the clued-in audience, {Crudely Plucking The Strings} is actually a reminiscence of a much older artwork: a woodcut print portraying the flood of the Bristol Channel in 1607. The flood killed at least 2,000 people; Cardiff was very badly affected.
The original artwork has St Mary’s Church, near Newport, as the focal point. {Crudely Plucking The Strings} replaces that with Hinkley Point C, currently being built on the channel’s southern bank, which will be the most expensive power station in the world upon completion. Although nuclear power is a low emitter of greenhouse gases, its long-term role on combating climate change is questionable as a lot depends on economic and safety issues. And by mimicking the original work and replacing the church building with the nuclear power station – thus contemporising the setting – Chris’s artwork warn people of a future flood and urge them to question the usage of nuclear power.
The artwork will be put up in a billboard structure in the outdoor yard of Spit & Sawdust. This is the organisation’s first billboard commission, and The Arts Council Of Wales are supporting the first two commissions, curated by Freya Dooley.
Admission: free. Info: 029 2049 4741 / facebook.com/spitandsawdust (HM)
