Accomplished ceramic artist, Gillie Nicholls has unveiled her latest work - entitled Ludicrum - and talked us about how it came to be.
The inspiration for this piece arrived when I woke up with the word allude fidgeting around in my head and began forming sentences with it.
“By alluding to Being I declare a space between myself and Being.”
“By alluding to love I declare a space between my being and love.”
“I allude therefore I am not.”
These lines challenge the notions of journey and destination, of desire to be and of being.
By directing attention, our intent, toward an outcome we acknowledge herein a lack. With this simple act of wanting we strip ourselves of a sense of wholeness. The fractured sense of self is amplified by the many routes by which have not yet arrived.
On reaching a point we may find that our desire to hold on to it hijacks the moment; a disquiet bought on by clinging; a distraction that robs us of joy in presence.
I have drawn these threads from many meditations on embracing What Is.
The woman in the sculpture sits waiting for a friend. It may depict the moment this other person arrives. It could also share an internal moment- embracing steps pressed down firmly, deeply, completely, along the bridge that links between dots; perceived points of arrival.
A communion with those ribbons of sensation that flow and wind with the rhythm of breath.
“In the vast openness of my chest, these walls hum, in waves of spread and rest.”
On researching the etymology of allude I found ludicrum- Latin for Stage Play.
This piece considers how ones intent may preoccupy one at the expense of a sense of presence, this then becomes ones experienced reality. “Ludicrum Grandiose”.