The shape of life

Henry Driver's is a thoroughly modern, 3D printed. relic of a diatom, which is a microscopic single celled algae. They photosynthesise and produce up to 30% of the oxygen we breathe, and were also instrumental in helping to develop the atmosphere. Scientists predict there are between 20,000 and 2 million different species, they live in water and moist habitats. They have been around for millions or possibly billions of years, and their skeletons are made out of silica, which can be fossilised for million of years. Climatetologists are examining these skeletons to understand how life responded to the increased heat of previous epochs.

Two relics have been deposited in Looms Lane and The Great Churchyard. The response is by Natalie Low.

When all that's left behind is air,
Old threads spin round a form unseen.
The shape of life can still be there.

Caged memories, like hooks, ensnare,
Giving new breath to what they mean,
When all that's left behind is air.

For I can see them everywhere,
Transparent husks with fossil sheen.
The shape of life can still be there.

Pompeiian casts, their fear laid bare,
Reflect the people they had been,
When all that's left behind is air.

A snakeskin still evokes the lair.
Skeletal leaves recall the green.
The shape of life can still be there.

And likewise, with these thoughts I share,
These words, my hands the link between,
When all that's left behind is air,
The shape of life can still be there.

Natalie Low
 
Henry Driver's aim is to connect audiences to the environment, as well as to combat the climate crisis by presenting achievable responses. Coming from a farming family, he has witnessed the effects of climate change, as they ravage harvests. It was this first hand experience that persuaded him  to solely focus on the environment. He uses a variety of media and technologies, including interactive media, games design, artificial intelligence, projection, photography, video, sound and sculpture. 

Henry has shown work across the world,  and in the UK in Tate Liverpool, Tate Britain and the Barbican. Most recently he was commissioned to create an interactive artwork, 'Secrets of the soil', for BBC Arts and Arts Council England through New Creatives. It is available to download for free or experience online. www.henrydriverartists.com Instaagram @henrydriver_ Twitter @henrydriver_

Natalie Low enjoys putting words on paper and believes that everyone has a book of some sort inside them. She has published two chapbooks, Dementia (2015) and School Run (2017). She is a regular contributor to CollectConnect exhibitions, both as a writer and artist/maker. Instagram @nat.low Facebook Natalie Low