Not a disentanglement from but a progressive knotting into

Lowsalt, Glasgow, 2007

This work at Lowsalt followed a theme of experiential distance by using documentary photography, found objects and performance to explore the relic-hood of the art object in relation to the connectivity of live performance.Evidence of the experience of an individual within a social grouping formed the physical matter of the work and in presenting them together, three levels of connection between the action of the artist and the reception of the viewer are exemplified, from 2d document to 3d relic to live performance.

Text below is extracted from a review of the exhibition by Jack Mottram in the Glasgow Herald

"Steven Anderson's twinned works come as something of a relief. On a knotted nylon mat of the sort designed to cost as little, and last as long, as possible, Anderson has placed snapped guitar strings, shattered drumsticks and broken plectrums, gleaned from a Glasgow rehearsal room. The items are arranged, too, not simply scattered, as if Anderson has taken on the role of an anthropological archaeologist of the present, digging through layers of contemporary detritus in a bid to understand and illuminate the cultural practices that surround him.

On the wall above the mat, Anderson continues his studies from another angle, presenting a contact sheet full of impromptu portraits taken at an unnamed gig as the subjects walked through the doors of the venue. Somewhere between these two pieces a band is playing, but Anderson is more interested in the relics of rehearsal and the anticipation on the faces of an audience, putting collective experience on the stage, and sidelining performance in favour of the bonds between creators and consumers."

Exhibiting artists: Steven Anderson, Douglas Morland, Javier Ferro.