Slowly Fading Quietly

I remember looking at the original Dutch still lifes in the Rijksmuseum. They’re still trying to shine in that faded way. Lots of details, like the stripes on tulip petals, have been lost because of how the paint has degraded. The painters were essentially working with the latest technology of the time, but they didn't know that that paint would become unstable. it’s more about the mirroring and movement of the two together. Nobody knows how long these technologies will last. Even some of my work from three years ago, the code doesn't run anymore because dependencies are no longer there. There’s no point aiming for the eternal. It's impossible. Even the most monumental artwork will eventually come to dust. This probably goes back to my interest in the natural world because I think that things should have a finite lifespan. If you look at the science of deep time – there was a start and there will be the heat death of the universe. I think that awareness creates a different kind of relationship to things. I'm interested in how you can enjoy them outside of the normal value system. That is mirrored in my work where so often things will disappear or fade away or stop working after a period of time. It’s about how we appreciate the transience rather than treating it as a commodity.