Patrick Stratton - Artist Statement

My work combines weaving with mechanics to document micro social systems. Using systematized observation, I make pieces that try to highlight small human moments from a playful, existentialist viewpoint. Inspired by writers like Samuel Beckett, I try to do my best with what I have, reducing my experience in a time of overwhelming saturation.

 

I do this through my recent series: “Things I do Sometimes”. I start with listing in a scientific-like approach, moving left to right in a regularly occupied space, listing every action to do with an object; scroll through phone, charge phone, lock phone, forget password. I then pick an item, and convert it into a moving tapestry, often weaving it, then using motors to animate the piece.

 

The result varies, sometimes they work consistently, other times they only work for a few seconds. This results in the art being stable; in the form of a mechanical tapestry, or unstable; in the form of a short video and the tapestry pieces archived.