Nature is the Church of Satan at Latitude 2010

Nature is the Church of Satan

by Louise Colbourne

A collection of short film and video including work by Zoë Brown, Dryden Goodwin, Louise Colbourne, Paul Burgess, Kate Street, Jenny Baines, Jim Hobbs, Matt Hulse, Vicki Thornton and Semiconductor.

Together these films and videos show an edgy side to nature and the landscape, revealing an intense atmosphere and the potential to evoke a response both outside and within.

This programme was screened at the Latitude festival in the woodland area on the 20 x 30' Big Screen. Also showing was Tim Simmons landscape photography and a selection of film and video work selected by Ben Borthwick. All were projected from a shack built by David Blandy as part of his installation in the woods called 'Crossroads'.

During the festival in the Lavish lounge daily 'Artists in conversation' events were hosted by Louise Gray, Anne Hilde Neset and Ben Borthwick, who also curated the Latitude Contemporary Arts programme this year with Ami Jade Cadillac from Lavish Ltd.

In our discussion were (from right to left) Louise Gray, Ben Borthwick, Mode, Matt Hulse, Vicki Thornton, Paul Burgess and Louise Colbourne. 

We were reminded of the solitude that nature inspires, and that our relationship to the landscape can be very intimate within its vastness.

The rhythmic flow and pace of the programme is quite important,the physicality of movement, timing, pace and structure of the individual pieces in 'Nature..Satan' influenced how the pieces were placed in order..

The sound was a very physical element to the work, especially for Vicki Thornton who laid letraset on to 16mm film stock which created the interference sound on her film 'Orchestra of Antimatter'. Matt Hulse's 8mm film 'Sine Die' has a soundtrack made up of a collage of folk samples from around the world which added to the 'Whicker Man' feel of his emotive and spiritual piece. Paul Burgess was inspired by the 'evil spirits in the woods' that surround the town of 'Twin Peaks', by David Lynch, and for him the sound element of the work was an important and evocative element.

'I liked the diversity and sense of freedom in your selection, and also the humour. But altogether the films worked well and I thought brought a powerful extension to the experience of those 'going into the woods'. Matt Hulse

'I saw one of the late screenings of the programme and it was really interesting seeing the films in that context late at night, I was also really pleased with the sound quality too. I think my favourite part was seeing the sun in the Semiconducter piece not long before the sun actually came up!' Vicki Thornton.

Projection stills in order from top: 'Gaze' 2010, Louise Colbourne. 'Heliocentric' 2010, Semiconductor.

With thanks to:

Latitude Contemporary Arts

Lux

'In conversation' photographs courtesy of Lucy Brown