Frances Disley (Output vs Bluecoat)

Frances Disley recently had a show in the Bluecoat gallery called ‘pattern buffer’. I was planning on writing about this exhibition for the blog until I done some research and realised that I have also seen another exhibition by Frances at the Output gallery and I was honestly so surprised.

When thinking about ‘pattern buffer’ I really didn’t have too much of an opinion on it and honestly didn’t have a great impression of the artists until I realised that I had saw another one of their shows at Output which I loved and I was shook.

Disley has a reoccurring theme in her practice of using art to create an environment that allows the audience to enter and almost leave the real world for a moment. Whether this being a relaxing environment or a distracting one, which can be seen in these two exhibitions as they both aim to be a no-pressure offer of mindfulness. However, the two shows convey this so differently.

Frances’ show at the Output used lighting, sound, scent, visuals, fabrics and colors to completely transform the space and create an environment that allowed the audience to interact and forget about the world outside for a little bit. I personally felt the show had a childlike playful atmosphere, it actually reminded me a little bit of a child’s playground with the markings on the walls and floor to be used as a means of interaction either using ones body or using the provided basket balls. I felt this show was effective in the terms of what Disley was trying to achieve and the added element of the collaboration with a performance artist who used the space adds this whole other element to the work. Honestly, I loved this, in fact I remember thinking it was one of the best shows that the Output have had. Further from the effectiveness of the work, it relates so much to my practice its unbelievable. One area of my practice stems from interest in psychology, art therapy and the child’s mind and I have experimented often with making environments that can take an audience member to a different place away from the real world, using the idea of sensory environments to create relaxing yet childlike experiences such as a child’s den made form whatever fabric can be found.

Considering I feel this way about Disley’s work in the Output and other works that iv looked at online I do not feel any of this with the ‘Pattern buffer’. In the ‘Pattern buffer’ Frances had this continued aim of creating an environment that allows the audience to step away from the world for a moment. This time the installations aim was to prompt a more relaxing and therapeutic stimulation rather then a distracting more playful one. Making the ‘pattern buffer’ Frances had spoke to psychologists about making this environment and what certain spaces have a positive effect on individuals. The ‘pattern buffer’ includes two rooms, one room consists of greyish, greenish kind of gridded walls with these volcano looking plant things in front of the window and then there where chairs and table located around the room with jigsaw puzzles and videos on display. I personally didn’t like this installation I kind of felt like I was in one of them cringy boring after school clubs that school put you in when your mum was running late to pick you up, you know. I feel bad but I just really cant think of much to say about it, compared to the other works of hers I’ve seen I just don’t get this one. I just don’t think it was as effective for what she was trying to achieve. The upstairs room was slightly better, Frances had similar kind of walls and décor as the room below but there were videos of incense burning and one wall was covered in fabric and textures which was kind of interesting. I’d say the best part of this room was the little nooks she made on the window ledges they were quite cute, like I could sit there and read a book, it was good  for photographs too.

I did think this second room had a more relaxing effect then the room below and I wrote in my notes whilst I was there how there could have been just smaller touches that could have made it so much more effective, such as having some kind of sound piece, altered lighting, maybe even the add of sense like incense burning. When doing some research on this show I found that apparently there was a sound piece that was for this show but they only played it once a week I think. Which I don’t really get, if it was a sound piece that added to the environment to create a deeper sense of relaxation why wasn’t this sound piece a continuous thing. Personally I just felt like this show was kind of flat and I was honestly kind of disappointed and I feel terrible writing this because I actually love so much of Frances’ other works and I hope to see more in the future.