The artist
Cathy de Monchaux was planning to exhibit an apocalyptic vision of the future in New York. She has been forced to reanalyse her work
Cathy de Monchaux looks to the skies as she crosses Tower Bridge on the way to her studio, scrutinising planes and willing them to continue on their flight paths. She avoids going further into the centre of London; the cases of anthrax in the US have scared her.But the biggest change has been in relation to her work.
"My next show was planned for the spring at Sean Kelly, my dealer in New York," says the former Turner Prize nominee. "It was to be about the future, a kind of apocalyptic vision of figures morphing with concrete and metal, but suddenly the future has arrived. It's not the kind of show I can do now.My work is always made in response to something. But I am now wondering how to think in relation to what has happened, and re-analysing my work."
So will her sculptures be more upbeat in future? "No. You can't cover up what has happened with feel-good movies or paintings of flowers. Everybody's life has been affected by this, and you would have to be very dumb not to let it affect your work in any creative realm."
De Monchaux has been talking to musicians about a possible collaborative project. Their first meeting was after 11 September, and she thinks that has given them a shared "condition". The installation, she says, will form part of her response to current events, and she may decide that it is the best way to replace her proposed apocalyptic show in New York.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies