I’ve worked with the Katy for a few years on a couple of different projects. She first asked me to work with her while she was doing a long term residency at the Tramway in Glasgow. I think she saw some kind of similarity in our approaches to making art, even though what we both do looks quite different we have a really easy way of working together which is a lot of fun. To sum this up from my point of view; we both like rainbows, interesting shapes and making things out of coloured paper. Its a very hands on visual way of working and absolutely about taking risks, experimenting and being imaginative.
So far the development work for Blue Block Studio has been a bit like intermittently taking a step inside Katy Wilson’s head, a nice escape from the mundanity of the real world into a place made out of soft shapes, coloured light, flashing balls and beautiful mesmeric music. That’s not to say its not serious work, I really enjoy the uncompromising level of collaboration, commitment and above all insight into what the world might be like for a very tiny person. A typical development session looks to me like a spectral art installation cum obstacle course consisting of obscure surfaces, sparkly paper, high-tech gadgetry and relentless optimism.
As a father of two small people (I have two daughters aged one and three) its great to be working on something that I can test out at home – an instant focus group can be assembled under the kitchen table to gauge the durability of a sculptural music box or explore the possibilities of very small video projectors. Both were a big hit and the music box is still just about in one piece! It makes sense to me that there should be people thinking about and making really exciting and engaging places for these small but infinitely playful little people. I hope that the things that parents and babies discover together in Blue Block Studio will be experiences that they can take home with them to inform the way that they continue to play together under their kitchen tables and beyond.
Ewan Sinclair
Visual Artist
Blue Block Studio & Yellow Valley 