Walter's Ghost

This is the blurb I wrote to be presented at the unveiling of an installation work of mine, titled Walter's Ghost, that will be on permanent display at the Walter Reid Cultural Centre in Rockhampton.  It was very capably read by Rod Ainsworth, the Creative Director of Creative Capricorn, as I was unable to attend the event. 

In addition to thanking Creative Capricorn, and the Rockhampton Regional Council for commissioning this work, I’d like to thank Shane Burgess for his fantastic cabinetmaking skills, Rockhampton Trophy Centre for all their help with the laser cut stencils, and Kontraband in Toowoomba for their advice on spray nozzles and paint.  Without these people, this artwork would not have come about.

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Ken Leslie

Walter's Ghost, 2012

Mixed Media

300 x 300 x 600mm (30 pieces)

 

This artwork is unique for me.  Firstly, because installation art is unfamiliar territory for me, and also because a commissioned work has the added complexity of having to fit a vision of other people, not just satisfying my own musings.  Something I’m dreadfully unaccustomed to.  I did, however, very much enjoy the challenge, and ended up creating a flexible installation piece titled ‘Walter’s Ghost’ consisting of 30 plywood boxes, each labeled with a Walter Reid and Company Limited logo from one of three different eras of its existence.  The dimensions of the boxes have significance.  Each is 300 x 300 x 600 mm, the size of an early liquor or wine carton, the major trade of Walter Reid and Co.  The work has been designed to be an echo of the past of the building.  Originally built as a warehouse by Walter Reid around 1900, it has been used as an arts centre since 1977[1], and with each passing year, and each refurbishment, the original purpose and life of the building fades a little more.  My aim is to hint at a trace of the past, to recognise, remember, and celebrate Walter Reid, without whom, we wouldn’t have this amazing building at all.

The Oxford dictionary defines the word ‘ghost’ as ‘an apparition of a dead person which is believed to appear or become manifest to the living’[2].  In other words, it’s a spirit that straddles two plains of existence; not really here, and not really there.  My work does exactly that.  It defines several opposing realms, but doesn’t quite fit into any of them.

The work is obviously a product of modern manufacturing methods; each box is made of 12mm plywood, glued and nailed using a nail gun, yet each one bears the insignia of a company long since closed.  They’re neither modern nor vintage.

Two of the three images are taken from actual company logos, and the other is in the style of pre-20^th Century packaging.  On close inspection, you’ll notice that they’ve been applied to the crates using spray paint and stencils, another very modern technique.  They’re neither replicas nor remixes.

The boxes are empty, with no access points for opening.  They will never hold cargo, but have been made a specific size for the transportation of specific goods.  They’re neither useful nor useless.

The crates are made of purely functional, industrial materials, just as they would have been had they been made for transportation purposes.  No effort was made to hide that fact.  But they highlight the beauty of the natural materials, and echo the beauty of the industrial surroundings.  They’re neither functional nor decorative.

The stack of crates (however it’s arranged) will blend into its post-industrial surrounds.  Maybe it’s relics found in the basement, maybe it’s a delivery waiting to be sorted, maybe it’s a historical display, maybe it’s a place to put your drink, maybe it’s an artwork.  They’re neither on display nor part of the environment.

This is a substantial list of what this artwork isn’t!  What it is, and will continue to be, is the spectre of a man who altered the social and physical environment of this region, and a reminder that his actions are still benefiting us today.

 

   

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[1] Gistitin, C. (2004) The Walter Reid Community Arts Centre. [pdf] Museum & Gallery Services Queensland. p.1-3 http://www.magsq.com.au/_dbase_upl/gistitinc.pdf [Accessed: 28-10-2012].

[2] Definition of ghost - mythical being, small amount and visual phenomenon. 2012. Definition of ghost - mythical being, small amount and visual phenomenon. [ONLINE] Available at: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/ghost?q=ghost. [Accessed 27 October 2012].