The Deep Field is a research studio and centre for pedagogic innovation supported by Office of Experiments. Based at the University of Westminster, it is home to a number of graduate researchers and situates it’s interests between fieldwork and studio, developing methods and projects that reflect on broader developments in the critical positioning of contemporary arts practices. Deep Field recent projects include An Atlas of Chronographic Things developed with PhD candidates Jol Thoms – coordinator for Deep Field at Goldsmiths College and the late Diann Bauer.
We are also closely focused on supporting the new collective Ecological Futurisms with other researchers at CREAM. The Deep Field Project is situated inside the Centre for Research and Education in Art and Media – CREAM, a world leading centre for research in art, design and media. See website for more information here.
Background
In 2017, Neal White established an academic hub with Tom Corby and Arts Catalyst founder, Nicola Triscott at University of Westminster. Based loosely on a conversation that White chaired between two pioneers of experimental and incidental arts practices at Arts Catalyst; Barbra Steveni (APG – UK) and Julie Martin (E.A.T – USA) and further consultation with Lise Le Feuvre, Director of the Holt/Smithson Foundation (USA), Experiments in Art and Science was formed. In 2019, the Arts Catalyst Art and Science Library was integrated within a research space that has since become a studio that can expand the work of Office of Experiments within an academic research context. The term the Deep Field was developed by Office of Experiments to refer to its work that bridges between autonomous and academic research, and the potential development of methods to interrogate subjects of interest.
Diann Bauer- A Deep Field Tribute
On May 9th 2022, our friend, the artist and visionary Diann Bauer passed away. As a colleague whose voice was pivotal to our projects in the last two years, Diann had a profound influence on those around her, including those working with her in the PhD community at University of Westminster. Her own work on Xenotemporalities was shaping into an extraordinary body of written work with key theoretical propositions that will be expanded upon in the future. Her individual practice underpinned by her exchange and collaborations with others including the projects and fieldwork coordinated with the Alliance of the Souther Triangle; AST informed and shaped her practice and her close relationships with other like minded artists, curators, creative intellectuals, feminist thinkers, amongst many, many others.
She was in all respects a kindred spirit to Office of Experiments, and together we worked on research, discussion and planning for a series of works under the title ‘An Atlas of Chronographic Things’ as a Deep Field Project. As an academic researcher, with vast professional experience and a shared artistic and aesthetic vision, she gave expression to our shared ideas in relation to time, temporality and event structures through the geometric language of a highly engaging form of visual communication that matched her own critical thinking and that were woven together in her carefully connected and insightful practice.
At the time of recording the podcast for the exhibition ‘Who Wants to Live Forever?’ which featured the first commissioned edition of An Atlas of Chronographic things by curator Stefanie Hessler, we shared DIann’s belief that despite her illness, her fortitude to work through it was a way of reflecting on all our time on earth. As a mother she was able to articulate her care in terms of her daughters future that was so intimately tied to our planet that she planned so much for. We all hoped that her voice would be heard in our world for a whole lot longer. We provide this link to those who miss that joyful, thoughtful voice, as we do, so deeply.
We share our condolences with her family, Rosa and Suhail.
Image: Dian’s graphical prototype for the installation ‘An Atlas of Chronographic Things’, at Kunsthalle Trondheim, 2020 featuring key work and research artefacts.