Ella Burgess and Maeve Thompson
It is not so much the consumption of a £2 pizza slice that marks an event, but the flight of its paper plate to the ground, tossed aside by its owner. After said events, often football related, greasy white circles glow on the pavement outside like moons. On April Fools' Day this year, Artemis II, the first crewed flight of the NASA Artemis programme, went on a lunar flyby that cost about $4billion in total.
Meteoroids are debris formed by asteroid collisions, comet trails, or pieces of moons and planets struck by impact. The International Space Station’s observatory, the Cupola, offers a 360° view of Earth and a place to watch and record meteoroids.
The results of observing the unintentional remnants left behind in public spaces can be seen in Ella Burgess’ choice of both subject matter and use of material. Peeled, scrunched and launched - frivolous, momentary release contrasts with the prolonged effort of creation. Instead, repercussions are made palpable, infinitely swirling, or frozen in time through screenshot or scan, altering the effect and memory of what remains.
The lightness and ephemerality of an object, such as a screenshot, alludes to dematerialisation. For example, the cyclic flow of intangible images, taken over and over again on ever lighter, smoother, clearer phones. However, as noted by Siobhan Angus in ‘Camera Geologica’ the term “dematerialisation” used by economists and environmental scientists refers specifically to the reduction of materials to produce a single commodity, rather than the total economic and environmental requirements for the production of those materials themselves. 1
The impartial whimsy of Maeve Thompson’s work nods to the desire of capital to surpass labour and material consequence. Her use of screenshots act as field recordings, numb leftovers of miscellaneous images in constant celebration. Flocking is used to increase the value of celebratory items, yet her flocked sweets look as though they were dug out of sticky pockets. An endless fidget game might have acted as distraction, though it is too high up to play. Balloons will eventually sink to the floor like confetti. Although not quite nostalgic through its detachment, nonetheless her work leaves its mark on the surrounding space.
1 Siobhan Angus, Camera Geologica: An Elemental History of Photography . Duke University Press, 2024. {p207}
Portions
Black Forest Round from 6 portions x 1
Top Finish: Border of Winter Berry,
Size: 6-8 portions,
Sides: Chocolate shavings,
Filings: Fresh cream and jam
Any allergies?:
Inside Flavour of Jam: Black cherry jam
Personalised message: Happy Birthday
Top Finish with a photo / image?: No thanks
Upload image:
Outside Finish with colour?: no thanks
Top Finish with dipped strawberries?: 3 dipped strawberries
Top Finish with Macaron?: No thanks
Top Finish with dipped strawberries and macarons?: No thanks
Which macaron?: Strawberry
Side Finished skimmed?: No thanks
Side Finish with dripping? No thanks
Side Finish with mignon around your cake?: No thanks
Which mignon?: Strawberry Tart
Top Finish with hand made sugar
roses?: no thanks
Side Finish with fruit on the board?: No thanks
Which colour?: