Power House is a new long-term creative art lab led by Susan Barnet and Jane Watt in collaboration with The National Trust Orford Ness. The artists are using the former Power House next to Black Beacon as a new art space for experimentation and public presentation of archival, current and future research about the unique heritage, ecology and geography of Orford Ness.
On the Ness, the presence of recording actions within a landscape is everywhere. From the shingle ridges which are traces of historic wave action, craters in the shingle caused by dropping bombs, to the remnants of decaying man-made structures which are victims of continual erosion. What remains is evidence that is observable and recordable as the origins for art practice and the base data for scientific experimentation, environmental action and understanding of heritages.
The Power House’s location, with views across the shingle ridges, looking north, east and south to the shifting coastline of the Ness provides context for a series of Power House creative projects led by Barnet and Watt that seek to engage and present ideas on themes such as: coastal climate change; the Eastern Flyway and migratory routes; botanical collections and data collection.
As Orford Ness Power House Artists-in-Residence over an extended period of time, Watt and Barnet draw on the ethos of the Ness’ heritage and its creative and innovative experimentation. The beginning of the programme of work includes a range of activities of observing and recording such as temporarily turn the building into a pinhole camera, overnight residency workshops with University of Suffolk Fine Art students and a two-part exhibition Make It Count in the Power House and Waterfront Building, Ipswich as part of Ipswich Art Society’s 150th Anniversary Programme.
Pin Hole Camera Residency
During Barnet and Watt’s week-long residency in February 2024 they temporarily turned the Power House into a pinhole camera. Once the windows were blacked out and eyes adjusted to the darkened room, a panorama live image looking east was projected onto the wall through the exposed aperture. With the assistance of University of Suffolk’s Senior Arts Technician, Lawrence Woolston, they captured the image on a series of four largescale negative images.
Make It Count
For the first Power House public exhibition, Barnet and Watt are working with University of Suffolk Fine Art undergraduate student artists on and off-site to examine and present existing archival data collection of flora and fauna from Orford Ness that has accumulated over the last thirty years. They supported students to research and experiment onsite on a two-day overnight residency as well as off-site experimentation at the University’s studios and workshops. For this project lead artists Barnet and Watt, together with the student artists, examine data from species counting and observation activities to find new and accessible ways to engage the public through the Make It Count Power House exhibition of drawing, painting, installation, photography and text.
