What can I do from this distance?
To change local, national, global
To differ from, to dissent
What is this space in which I stand?
Art, artist, audience,
I embody all
Shedding my skin
Burnt charred coal
Moss and loss
Stood at the point of it all
Tossed, compost
My leaves have left me
Body touched, spoiled surface
Fluid folds, fleshy moulds
Bitten and chewed
Part of a whole
A hole in part
I stand apart.
What can you do from this distance?
To improve over, in and under,
To make better, to heal
What is this space in which you stand?
Art, artist, audience,
You embody all
A gift to the soil
A gift for the soul
Grown and faced
Stood at the point of impact
Proposed, enclosed
Your leaves have left you
Wrap yourself in soil
Rough bark, spoiled surface
Wrinkle and rust
Part of a whole
A hole in part
You stand apart.
What can she do from this distance?
To disrupt soil, surface, system
To affect, to create a ripple effect
What is this space in which she stands?
Art, artist and audience,
She embodies all
Stones and sticks
Moths and ticks
Thrown and placed
Piled at the point of entry
Enthroned, attoned
Leaves have left her
Dry trunks have sunk into soil
Skin puckered, dry and lifeless
Drought and dust
Part of a whole
A hole in part
She stands apart.
What can I do from this distance?
To alter here, there, over there,
To make sense, to repent
What is this space in which I stand?
Art, artist, audience,
I embody all
Devouring my flesh
Decay takes hold
Legs and loins
What is the point of it all?
Consumed, exhumed
My leaves have left me
Weightless limbs, shedding skin
Bones hold, lichen and mould
Parasites and mites
Part of a whole
A hole in part
I stand apart.
What can you do from this distance?
To make good then, here and now,
To revive, to restore
What is this space in which you stand?
Art, artist, audience,
You embody all
Sculpt and sustain
Reroute and retain
Save and sound
Weightless in its effect
Drained, prayed
Your leaves have left you
Shelter from the rain
Flash flood, cleaning blood
Cracks and crevices
Part of a whole
A hole in part
You stand apart.
What can she do from this distance?
To burn, ruin and rescue
To reverse the effect, to replenish
What is this space in which she stands?
Art, artist and audience,
She embodies all
Skulls and zips
Hands and hips
Found and poured
Traced to the spike in the centre
Encircled, sheltered
Leaves have left her
Impressions live on the shell
Cast in plaster, a bodily echo
Actions and reactions
Part of a whole
A hole in part
She stands apart.
(Above: full transcript of text written by the artist and used as audio recording in ‘From this Distance’ video below).
These words, written by the artist, embody their practice in the isolated environment of The Valley, Catalunya. The artist invited 24 other people to record their voices and send them digitally from across the world. Misselbrook has edited them together to form a sound collage layered over visuals of the River Ebro and ants in The Valley.
With special thanks to…
Veera Ranki (Finland)
Eli Saville (UK)
Caroline Misselbrook (UK)
Abi Bright (UK)
Daryl Thornton (UK)
Maija Liepins (Australia)
Romina Cristi (Chile)
Anna Georghiou (Cyprus)
Piedad Galindo (Spain)
Clare Carter (UK)
Janine Wolters (Netherlands)
Nina Pancheva (Bulgaria)
Jayne Ede (UK)
Carys Wilson (UK)
Mireia Simon (Catalunya)
Eleri Lloyd (Wales)
Naomi Pickett (UK)
Eileen Misselbrook (UK)
Steffanie Baumann (Germany)
Louise Butler (UK)
Alita Bustamante (Chile)
Jaclyn Bernadzikowski (USA)
Mia Baumann (Germany)
Ria Breedveld (Netherlands)