Talks on Art - Layla Curtis

About

Earlier this year, artist Layla Curtis spent four weeks trekking in the rainforests of Borneo with the semi-nomadic Penan ' one of the last surviving hunter-gatherer tribes in South-East Asia and acknowledged masters of tracking and hunting. The aim was to obtain point of view (POV) video footage of a Penan hunter's solo journey through dense jungle near Ba Jawi, one of Borneo's last remaining pristine rainforest wildernesses. Unsurprisingly, given that they have lived their entire life in the forest, the Penan are exceptionally in tune with their surroundings, alert to even the smallest sound or movement - the artist will talk about her work in progress which attempts to capture a view of the forest from the perspective of the Penan who move incredibly fluidly, gracefully, swiftly and almost silently whilst navigating the tangled jungle environment and tracking their prey. She will also discuss the Penan's unique visual tracking language, which uses a complex system of folded leaves and bent twigs to describe details about their journeys to other people in the forest.

Much of Curtis's artistic practice involves mapping, documenting, and tracking unique journeys through various environments, from the urban metropolis of London, to the untouched tundra of Antarctica. During her talk, the artist will discuss her experiences in Borneo within the broader context of her artistic practice. She will show footage from her collection of films 'Traceurs: to trace, to draw, to go fast' in which she uses a thermal imaging camera to make visible the heat traces left by parkour practitioners as they make their unique journeys across the city, and discuss 'Polar Wandering', her interactive web based drawing charting her own personal journey to Antarctica.

To book contact Storey Gallery on bookings@storeygallery.org.uk or call 01524 844133