Burton Research

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Burton Museum Commission, 2024

Burton Art Gallery and Museum appointed Andy Hughes as its 2024 Environmental Artist Commission recipient. His project will produce a machinima video artwork and research exploring new perspectives on climate change and pollution. Using photographic assemblage, archival film, video gaming and AI, the work reflects on how materials like plastic move through rivers, oceans and eventually into our bodies. Titled Sea/River Shimmer, the project will connect the River Torridge and its estuary through both real and virtual watery worlds.

The work seeks to move beyond familiar imagery associated with environmental and plastic awareness, encouraging deeper attention and new sensory ways of perceiving the climate crisis. It challenges conventional narratives and suggests that addressing ecological crises requires more than purely technical solutions.

Image: The venous and arterial system of the human body with internal organs and detail figures of the generative system. Engraving, 1568. Becerra, Gaspar, 1520?-1568?

The ebb and flow of the river is a natural water vein. Unlike human blood vessels, which carry oxygen-poor blood to our heart, this river, like many others, carries more than just water.Rivers grow in size as they transport water from their source – from the headwaters to their mouth - carrying weathered materials, including human trash and waste, to the ocean. As natural and human-made materials enter the watercourse they become transformed. They morph and shimmer, float and sink. They are profound reminders of the intricate relationships between the movement of people and goods; they are important players in the water cycle helping to distribute water and dissolved substances around the Earth through their flow.

Study for Crystaline Polymer Wave, 2024
Studio photograph combined with AI prompts

Current and future histories will be written with water. As oceans rise, islands disappear and coastlines recede, the surrounding seas will be soup-like. Glittering and floating within will be dispersed plastic particles, jewel-like and tiny. They may look like Diatoms (they produce up to 50% of the world's oxygen). In the novel, The Crystal World, J. G. Ballard presents an astonishing portrayal of environmental catastrophes. Ballard raises the idea of living flora and fauna undergoing a transformation into a mineral-like state, as well as the concept of time distortion... the novel stands out as one of Ballard's most perceptive works. This notion of non-linear time combined with imaginary visions of new kinds of materiality, forms the basis of this commissioned work.

Map of the River Torridge and its catchment in Devon, UK
Ordnance Survey OpenData

Source of the Tamar and Torridge, engraved by W.B. Cooke
After Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, Line engraving on paper, 79 × 134 mm, Tate, Purchased 1996, REFERENCE T07093

Sketchbook Notes / 27.01.24
In a first experiment utilizing an AI tool, a vein-like structure is created. One aspect of the project aims to incorporate visual elements inspired by "The Crystal World" by J.G. Ballard.

Plastic Atrocity, 2023 / Visual study, experimental image

This novel unfolds amidst mysterious and otherworldly phenomena. Dr. Edward Sanders, a physician, embarks on a journey into the heart of the African rainforest where an enigmatic crystallization process is altering the landscape and its inhabitants. As Sanders traverses the crystalline terrain, he encounters a series of eerie and unsettling occurrences, including the crystallization of living organisms and the suspension of time itself. Ballard crafts a narrative that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy, delving into the psychological and existential ramifications of the crystal transformation. Themes of decay, metamorphosis, and the delicate nature of human existence are explored throughout the novel.

Rushes from first visit to Northam Burrows, Torridge Estuary
Location: 51°03'37.2"N 4°12'47.8"W / 02.03.24

'This is a flat, sky-dominated landscape with strong sensory characteristics. The habitats within the mosaic (dunes, beach, saltmarsh, mudflats and farmland) each have unique qualities of pattern, colour and texture which are juxtaposed in different combinations. The salty smell of mudflats and the sea are ever-present, as are the calls of birds. Within the dunes, there is a strong sense of enclosure, isolation and wilderness. This contrasts with the open views towards the surrounding settlements, and the time depth associated with the strip fields at Braunton'.

Source: https://www.torridge.gov.uk/article/21652/DCA-58-Taw-Torridge-Estuary

Screen Grab: Mud flats Westbrook District Night City,
Cyberpunk 2077 / 14.03.24

Sea Shimmer combines computer-generated recordings from the video game Cyberpunk 2077 with real footage filmed in the rivers and coastal landscapes of North Devon. By linking the game’s dystopian Night City with real environmental imagery, the film creates a dialogue between virtual and physical worlds. The narrative draws on themes of survival, social hierarchy and environmental degradation present in the game, using them as a framework to reflect on contemporary ecological concerns.

Through this blending of real and simulated environments, the artwork explores the entanglement of present and future worlds and suggests that meaning is fluid and open to interpretation. Viewers are encouraged to form their own connections with the commission’s environmental themes, considering how everyday waste—such as litter entering a drain—might travel through rivers and oceans over time, where it might eventually come to rest, and how our relationship with such materials shapes the wider story of environmental change.

Torridge Estuary / 26.04.24
These images are a selection from the second visit to the estuary, predominantly focusing on areas where mud and water meet. These locations have potential as visual elements for the final film project and may also serve as subjects for photographic prints. The juxtaposition of mud and water creates dynamic contrasts, offering opportunities to explore texture, color, and the interplay between organic and fluid elements. These selected images capture the essence of the estuary's ever-changing landscape, providing visual material for both cinematic and photographic interpretations.

Imaginary Future Public Information Panel / 04.05.24

In 200 years, imagine an information board in the Taw/Torridge Estuary explaining how this landscape has evolved and how people worked to protect its ecological balance. The board would stand as a testament to humanity’s commitment to environmental stewardship and the importance of maintaining connections with the natural world. It might highlight major changes over the centuries, including the restoration of habitats, the return of native species and innovative conservation strategies developed to address climate change and human impact. Visitors would learn about the resilience of the estuarine ecosystem and the collaborative work of scientists, conservationists and local communities to safeguard its biodiversity.

With advances in technology, the board might include interactive features such as augmented reality, allowing visitors to explore past, present and possible future versions of the estuary. Through multimedia displays, it would encourage a deeper understanding of how ecosystems are interconnected and why sustainable practices matter. More than simply providing information, the board would inspire visitors to care for and protect fragile environments such as the Taw/Torridge Estuary.

Hybrid Photo-Collage / 04.05.24

As the commission progresses, new strands and scenarios present themselves. In addition to featuring gameplay from Cyberpunk 2077, other possibilities begin to emerge. Among these is the inclusion of in-game footage from other popular titles such as Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption and No Man's Sky. No Man's Sky stands out as an expansive, procedurally generated open-world game developed and published by the indie studio Hello Games. Renowned for its vast, virtually infinite universe, players are invited to embark on a journey where they can explore planets, encounter unique flora and fauna, engage in spacefaring combat, trade with alien species and uncover the mysteries of the cosmos.

A defining aspect of No Man's Sky lies in its procedurally generated world, where planets, creatures and environments are created algorithmically, offering players an unparalleled variety of landscapes and ecosystems to explore. This feature ensures that each player's experience is unique, fostering a sense of endless discovery and adventure within the game's vast universe.