Emma Scott-Child: Art Museum
Interview: Bettina Pelz. Published on 14 SEP 2024.
Dear Emma — welcome to the GOLDSTÜCKE in Gelsenkirchen! We are very happy that we found a way to include your work in this year’s edition. I have some questions that should help us to understand the way you work and the making of “Flannel Flowers”.
— What is interesting about joining a light and media art project in Gelsenkirchen?
I love the concept of repurposing the city’s surfaces as an art medium and of the spaces and textures of the urban environment, becoming co-authors of the works.
— Why did you agree to join this year’s GOLDSTÜCKE edition?
An urban environment is an ideal space for nature to infiltrate in the form of art. The work I have created lends itself to projection, and the concept speaks of loss and regeneration, so I felt it was a great match for this year’s theme.
— How does the context of Gelsenkirchen (or the particular festival location) inform your piece? Are there local aspects you’ve incorporated?
The pace of the work is slow, considered, and ultimately optimistic. The enclosed space shown in feels private and solemn, an ideal location for quiet reflection.
— Can you walk us through your creative process for this piece, from initial ideas to the concept to the final execution?
I was working on some paper sculptures based on my experience of the unprecedented wildfires in Australia in 2020 where I am from. Through my personal loss, I connected to a bigger awareness of the collective grief that faces the natural world. In my research, I discovered a tale of unlikely optimism in the form of the Flannel Flowers, which bloom only once every 50 years under immensely catastrophic circumstances.
I added fire as a medium in my practice and expanded my work from paper sculpture, to video evidence of fire ravaging the sculptures.
In a surprise stroke of creative synergy, I spoke with Omar Musa, a poet working in Australia and he was writing poetry based on these same flowers so we collaborated to create the sound and vision for this piece. Omar asked Peruvian composer Pauchi Sasaki to write a score for the piece and it all came together in the final piece.
— How does this work relate to or depart from your broader artistic practice?
My work ranges from video to site-specific sculpture and photo essays. I use paper, flowers (both live and fake), florist’s supplies and scrap metal to create sculptural pieces. In this period of work I am delving into the idea that objects hold emotional weight, so in my video pieces, I use fire as a metamorphic process to destroy those objects. The process is risky, cathartic and at times disappointing but it garners an emotional response.
— How do you approach creating art for public spaces? What unique challenges and opportunities does this present?
The challenge is to create something that feels familiar, yet arresting to make people stop for a moment and connect with a sense of collective grief.
— What kind of site did you choose for your work? How did you find it?
I wanted it to feel like a spiritual moment in a busy urban environment. The site is enclosed and it feels like stumbling upon a sacred space.
— How does your artistic practice engage with light and media as mediums? What drew you to work with these elements?
I am interested in creating evidence of loss, and video lends itself to this. I also like to use simple tricks of the camera to create uncanny effects, like reversing or slowing down footage so it feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar.
— What technologies are you employing in this work? How do they contribute to your artistic vision?
I use fairly low-fi technologies and simple editing, I want to let the objects and the fire do the work in creating a narrative that draws in a connection by presenting an image which feels ordinary yet intriguing.
— Looking ahead, how do you see light and media art evolving in response to our changing world? What future directions excite you in this field?
I would like to expand the use of projection in my work, projecting onto different mediums and finding new ways to work with fire.
— In what ways does your work for this festival respond to or reflect on current times of tension, conflict, or crisis?
Bearing witness to catastrophic fire on this scale has left communities scarred with grief. The destruction seemed absolute, and yet through the devastation, the fire brought with it some new life. I want to speak of crisis, in terms of our global need for action to change our relationship with nature, but also with an element of optimism. The footage is played in reverse so the flames make the flower ‘bloom’. In the videos the flowers appear to overcome grief to find joy as they bloom.
— How do you balance aesthetic considerations, content focus, and societal engagement in creating public art during challenging times?
I think the job of an artist is to connect with viewers on a personal level and use that connection to speak of bigger, collective issues if you can. Creating a place where art can occupy and transform a public space is a great way to make those connections.
— How do you hope viewers will interact with or experience your work? What do you want them to take away from it?
I hope that viewers will watch the piece from start to finish, but this is often hard to achieve in a public setting. I want them to take away a sense of renewal and growth and make them feel like they are part of a bigger connection with the forces of nature.
— Are there any other artists or works in this year’s festival program that particularly resonate with you?
I’m not sure I know any yet, but I am looking forward to seeing the work.
— Do you have any recommendations for the audience?
Slow down. Take a moment.