Hugh Crowley: Statement

Hugh Crowley is an artist interested in poetic matter. Casting and carving various artefacts, Crowley creates installations that speak in code. These objects symbolise his own reflections on histories and theories surrounding potential, desire and change. Engaging with materiality Crowley is able to further contextualise his work, and through this process, create tangible poetry.

Notes on Reciprocity - L 'appel du Vide

L 'appel du Vide is an exploration of Nostalgia, and its wake of introspection and absence. Drawing inspiration from the tale of Narcissus in Ovid's Metamorphoses, Hugh Crowley has meticulously crafted a hand mirror using traditional stone carving techniques. Engraved with the narcissus flower, the mirror’s detail cautions against obsession with the self whilst simultaneously representing hope - the potential for renewal and growth. Philosophical paradoxes of being, from both Far Eastern and Western modes of thinking, find physical manifestation within the work. The graphite mirror, when touched, stains its surroundings, leaving a trace of the past. As a rhetorical device, the mirror is also used to contemplate impermanence. The object stands in contradiction to itself.

The work debuted alongside a butoh performance by Jasper Salomonsz, adding layers of temporality and physicality through a durational enactment. As time unfolded, the mirror gradually wore down, leaving traces on both body and plinth. These marks underscore the repercussions of fixation and dwelling on the self, highlighting how such obsession leads to the erosion of the other. The performance and subsequent drawing delineate between essence and absence, ultimately embracing the latter with acceptance.