TIME MACHINE FOR ABANDONED FUTURES

Colin Lyons

The Cube
March 28 to June 13, 2015

Curated by Craig Willms, Assistant Curator, Kamloops Art Gallery

Colin Lyons’ recent work fuses printmaking, sculpture and chemical experiments, pushing the role of the etching plate beyond its traditional boundaries as a re-enactment of the rise and fall of industrial economies. He explores industry through the lens of fragility and impermanence, considering planned obsolescence and the nature of what we choose to preserve. Lyons adapts etching plates and uses acid to create batteries that reclaim decaying industrial parts. Once restored, the surfaces are coated with a resist material. The artist then traces over the restored surfaces, submerging them in a bath of etching acid. The results create a contour map that marks the traces of decay.