Seguridad, Single Channel DVD 2009

“Shapland works with the thresholds of blandness and boredom. These are played out in times and spaces that are generally considered invisible or overlooked. He uses this to his advantage, playing on the expectations of his audience. The lack of apparent action forces the viewer to counter this stillness, adding their own layer of narrative….When any minor action does occur, it is amplified by the preceding expectant wait or is shockingly brutal in its directness. Nocturne (2005) is a document of the early hours after the clubs have closed, in what could be any UK city. A fixed hidden camera reveals sexual encounters, arguing couples, pissing and violence, before the seagulls and a road sweeper come by to wipe away the detritus until it all starts again the next night. A second screen transcribes the action with subtitles. Through the editing, Shapland turns this footage into drama, identifying a lead protagonist, who begins and ends each scene as they enter and leave the frame. These same events are destined to keep on repeating, night after night, turning the activities into a soap opera that never fails to keep your attention through its banality and bluntness.” Gordon Dalton, Contemporary Annual – 50 emerging International Artists, February 2006

Forthcoming:
LISTE – The Young Art Fair in Basel
PREVIEW 14 June, from 1PM to 10PM
15 – 20 June, 2010
Room 3/7, booth G2 (top floor, near the bar)
Burgweg 15, 4058 Basel

Tanya Leighton Gallery