“I've been thinking a lot about the differences between Edinburgh and Dundee and how I hear Dundee being described as 'post-industrial' but I never really gave that a great deal of thought, but I can see it now. >> While studying on the MFA, I read that art students should make work that relates to the city they study in… I am starting to see this emerging in my work, the emphasis on structure and the celebration of rawness in materials that I choose, but also the sense of humour that runs through some of my work and my handling of materials. It feels (to me) to be Dundee born.”
Janey Muir
 
COUP RED invited Muir to explore, play and manipulate the Rules within AXO Gallery, using the gallery as a project space two weeks prior to the opening of the exhibition. Muir has been creating new and re-worked compositions, alongside a series of performances to camera and an online dialogue of the creative process on a-n Artist's Talking.

Inspired by Muir's oversized fly swatter at the Generator Projects Member’s show in January 2010, the exhibition stems from Muir’s understanding of her spine, relating to the Fracture. When we think about the spine, we think about it as the central structure of our body; it houses the nervous system, it connects our mind to our body and when it’s thrown off balance, we too are thrown into the unfamiliar. A spine sculpture twists and contorts in the gallery. Porcelain mugs rendered useless become the spine twisting and pulling in opposite directions using wire rope.
 
JULY 2011  >  polythene sheeting  >  silver duct tape  >  lengths of untreated timber  > white emulsion  >  cardboard  >  parceltape  >  anti-performance stage  > BUT BUT BUT  >  personal space-time continuum > cocoa powder > gold paint > black and white checkers > sink stands > melted bins > crow bar >>>>
 
Surrendering to an honest and uncomplicated relationship with the work, to play amongst performing objects, Muir interacts physically by balancing body against objects and using them to manipulate posture; but they won't function as relics, not in the romantic sense of previously touched and loved and used. Muir has talked a lot about integral moments during the install when an action or statement has provided a CLICK, when her own performances are grounded, to be on the floor, to happen on film, like the objects themselves.

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