cosmos noun
cos·mos | \ 'käz-m?s , senses 1 & 2 also -?mos, -?mäs \
Definition of cosmos
1a: UNIVERSE
b (1): an orderly harmonious systematic universe
(2): ORDER, HARMONY
2: a complex orderly self-inclusive system

The installation of Cosmos is a total environment between the viewer, the objects, and the environment so that all of these together become the artwork. The idea of cosmos is used in the ancient sense as expounded by Ptolemy where the earth is the centre of the universe. This geocentric concept is further expanded in this installation to make the viewer the centre of their universe with a phenomenological interaction and apprehension of the environment. The names of the individual works are taken from among the 48 constellations named by Ptolemy.
The installation comprises 10 works set within an expansive volumetric space. The individual pieces comprise suspended, wall-mounted, and free-standing works. Visibly expressed suspension ropes knit the suspended pieces across the space, and this linking of space is continued with the wall-mounted and floor pieces. This 3-way linkage unites earth and sky into one composition with the viewer at its centre.
The viewer must move through the composition in order to fully apprehend it. This adds a crucial temporal element into the perception of the artwork and further connects the viewer, the works, and the environment into a unified whole.
The 10 works that comprise Cosmos are of a similar language. These pieces explore form, colour, and materiality. They are constructed using paper pulp that has a unique textural quality that modifies and amplifies colour. Form and colour interact and complement each other in these works. Each piece is monochrome, but with significant tonal variation. The tonal variation is used to modify the emphasis of the perception of the piece that doesn't necessarily conform to its form. A tight chromatic range is used. The suspension ropes are a complementary red colour that has a visual resonance when set against the 10 pieces and from the internal environment.



Photo credits:
Images 51-54 by Chris Ison