Ryan Heath: The Thinning

About

An installation and animated short for virtual reality by Nottingham-based artist Ryan Heath.

Open daily from the 7th -14th November.

12:00PM – 6:00PM.

Preview: 6:00PM – 9:00PM (Fri 6 Dec only)

This exhibition takes inspiration from the apotropaic graffiti or ‘witch marks’ of Creswell Craggs, an enclosed limestone gorge on the border between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. The cliffs in the ravine contain several caves housing ritual protection marks dating back hundreds of years. During this time a fear of the unknown prompted superstitious locals to mark many symbols in these rocks holding multiple meanings, which number in the high hundreds in one cave alone. Death and disease were everyday companions and evil forces could readily be imagined in this dark void. Marks have since been found in all caves at Creswell Crags.

The artist re-imagines such phenomena in post-industrial Britain. Visuals are drawn from the artist’s interest in contemporary symbology, found in the urban environment. Through the use of these symbols, Heath considers how the unknown plays a role in the construction of narrative and examines how we seek meaning in an increasingly complex world. Heath borrows from the historical, semiotic and occult to illustrate these very human traits.

Score by AJA Ireland.

Performance by Dean Morris (preview date only).

Installation by Anna Manfield and George Chinnery.