A series of digital collages exploring memory achievement and belonging.

Three channel video commissioned by MotiRoti as part of an exhibition titled “What Counts?”

To find out more about what counts please follow this link: http://www.motiroti.com/whatcountsblog/author/ashok-mistry

The art works consider memory and understanding by exploring the hierarchy of importance between a core concept, data or information and it’s meta-data.  The work examines the processes by which meta-memory acts to solidify all association to a concept by overlaying contextual arguments.

Title: Yellow and white make Red

Duration: 1:00

Title: Searching for real red

Duration: 1:50

Title: The ritual of red

Duration: 1:51

Title: The sound of red

Duration: 1:20

Title: The red within

Duration: 1:16

Ten years ago I created a series of ceramic vessels some of which was buried or discarded my back yard.  After a decade I located most of the pieces and considered their life in the years past.  ‘A decade to change’ considers time authenticity of organic change and the romance of change.  the work reflects on the media construct of the ‘makeover’ and comments on the long drawn out process that masquerades as a sudden change.

The ceramic vessels are in the main intact but are very different to when they were first constructed.  They resemble archaeological artefacts unearthed from a prehistoric site.  The original artistry of the artefacts is not important – instead what is important is the romantic value offered by the natural pattern of decay.  People who see the vessels are interested in how the damage was caused and the length of time it took for the changes to take place.

Video, Duration: various. High Definition

Still images: various sizes

Drawings: various sizes

A series of videos drawings and photographs exploring learning and standardisation of knowledge in line with a given ideology. The works follows the process of learning drawing of a particular motif in line with rules and ritual. The works explore learning instruction and task focused actions (similar to computer programming) by breaking the process into phases and principles. Each phase is characterised by levels of understanding. Artworks created as part of Artist residency at New Art Exchange, Nottingham.

Please note: The work shown below only accounts for a small percentage of artworks created. Please contact me to view further artworks.

In the hope of understanding. Duration: 3:24. High Definition 1080p

Believe me I understand. Duration: 2:12. High Definition 1080p

I understand deeply. Duration: 2:15. High Definition 1080p

One article of understanding. Duration: 4.30. High Definition 1080p

To learn understanding. Duration: 4:38. High Definition 1080p

Understanding repeated and faded. Duration: 6:28. High Definition 1080p

Trying to understand. Duration: 7.04. High Definition 1080p

Photographic print 100cm x 100 cm

The artwork looks at appropriation due to inequality and the associated construct of legal ownership. Through my travels off the beaten track I often came across items of clothing, shoes and other goods made locally bearing a western brand. Many of the brands were used out of context. Brands normally associated with adult cloths or sportswear mixed with local motifs to create a new context for the logo. This is not counterfeiting, this was the appropriation of a brand as a pure symbol striped of its synthetic values and normal consumer context. The construct of copyright did not matter as the logo was given life in completely new reality. It is used in a manner similar to archaic religious or cultural symbol as there is no need to worry about copyright or original meaning and therefore everyone has their own assumptions and interpretation of the symbol.

As shown in the image above, the “playboy” logo used on the children’s sandals was a great example of appropriation and interpretation of a brand outside its normal context. As rabbits are used so widely as a toy and therefore seen as cute and cuddly it seem logical to place such an image on a child’s shoe. Whoever made these shoes probably did not know of the true context of this particular rabbit and of the sexualised connotations of the “playboy” logo.

The brand becomes akin to an exclusive religion that is only accessible to particular markets. It is the inequality of shutting a group of people from accessing something that leads them to appropriating it by any means necessary. The problem for many brands is that information relating to it is not restricted to particular markets. In these situations the people using the brand are not restricted to the normal rules of use and market etiquette. Therefore the brand is stripped of its normal operating values (colour, size, shape, proportion associated text, brand values and imagery). The brand is twisted beyond its normal market values and thus become amorphous.