Liz Harrison

Boat
2006
Video projection,
59 mins


How long have you had a studio at APT?
I have been working at APT since 1998.

Which female artists inspired you growing up?
Female artists that have influenced me, and continue to influence me, are sculptor Eva Hesse for her exploratory and innovative use of materials, Vija Celmins for her obssessive and meticulous drawing practice, and film maker Chantal Ackerman for her experimental use of the single shot and real time in her films.  Their work does not reflect an obvious feminist point of view, but rather their obsession and sincerity for particular ways of working, reveal ing them as artists with deep female understanding.

What is the most important piece of advice you have been given?
‘Take risks, don’t play safe’ the best piece of advice I received and one I would pass on to all artists.

Why did you chosen this piece of work today?
The work ‘Boat’ is a looped video  that was shot from the roof of APT, and for me epitomised the environment and location of APT. Although this work was made in 2006, I feel it is still  relevant today, and given the opportunity I would show this piece of work again in the gallery at APT. It was relevant then as it is now, in terms of the environment and socio-political context.

‘Boat’ presents dualities of time and provides a focal point and symbol for a disappearing and engulfed time-space. An abandoned boat, which has since been dismantled and no longer exists, was filmed in Deptford Creek in real time in a static shot over a period of 24 hours, recording the rise and fall of the incoming and outgoing tide. The video recording is projected large scale as a sublime image; the frantic sound and reflection of the passing of a train every few mins on the bridge over the Creek contradicts and emphasises both the infinity and inevitability of time.

The projection in the gallery space at APT lasts one hour, seen as a preview taken from the extended footage.