Paige Dunlop
My work has a diaristic narrative, conveying differences within Glasgow’s clubs in a revealing candour. Through digital documentation and write ups of nights out, I become a participant observer, investigating what club culture means to me and where I sit comfortably within it – a question of identity. I use a mixed method approach to back up my findings in this ethnographic study, using both qualitative and quantitative research. This is a study of those who live by night. I focus on subjects such as; purpose, appearance, intoxication, music, dance, identity and state of mind. These are all variables that I believe to make up a club culture. I investigate these cultures per night club, but too more broadly within the city. I have found two general club cultures to exist in Glasgow. I question whether clubbing is an activity of leisure and recreation, and investigate the impact that age and experience has on this too. My images depict interesting character demeanours dealing with these variables. This is exaggerated in a somewhat grotesque manner through movement to further said concerns. I work with long exposures, layers and careful compositions to achieve this. Images can be hard to look at, revealing ghosts the longer you stare. Predominantly my practice is digital, working with experimental photography and film, however it expands broadly into fine art, experimenting with other mediums such as screen printing. I have interests in the impact light can have on inks within printing, working with ultra violet, infrared and coloured light sources. Recently I have been exploring methods of interaction, creating this installation for my degree show as a result.
Sponsored by Black-Light @ Black Light
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Installation
Chimera
Chimera is a liminal nightclub, brought to you to experience the two club cultures that I have found to exist in Glasgow in one transitional space.
An installation piece made up of 4 digital prints, coloured light, sound and 2 LED signs; installed in a fabricated space, representative of a nightclub. The digital prints depict the two club cultures that I have found to exist in Glasgow, with the coloured light revealing only one scene at a time. These digital collages come from a manipulation of photos that I have taken in Glasgow’s night clubs. The large scale prints are situated on all 4 walls putting you in the centre of the night club’s environment. This is paired with two soundtracks of classic club songs, one for each culture that play intermittently, that I have created to play alongside the lights as they change. I have designed this space to recreate features of a nightclub, including a corridor and a low ceiling. The entrance space alludes to the winding corridors found in nightclubs, moving between different rooms, the bar and the toilets. Here, it creates an entrance to the space, immediately immersing you in the environment of the installation away from other works. It displays an LED sign mapping Glasgow’s club scene, showing the names of all the night clubs in the city in red or blue – per culture, just as represented by the lights in my club ‘Chimera’. Inside the main space you find yourself inside the club watching how the crowd and music changes, noticing details such as what they wear, how they interact, how they dance, their choice of intoxication and a representation of their state of mind.
Many thanks to those who have supported me in creating this space; Paul Maguire, Craig Mulholland, Zoe Mendelson, Jamie Green, Brian McIntyre, Joe Cherrie, Alan Williams, The Centre of Advanced Textiles and the GSA Media Suite.
Sponsored by Black-Light @ Black Light
