In his series Natures (Natures 1, Natures 2, Natures 3), Quayola integrates close-up footage of plants, dramatically lit and filmed against a black background, with computer-generated material that explores the ambiguity of realism in the digital realm.

Fragile, gentle, romantic, we watch petals, leaves and stems quiver in what appears to be a light breeze. The motion we witness is utterly familiar; its presentation completely abstracted: the video footage resembles an animated 17th century Dutch still life and appears meditative, if not reverential. The visible intervention of position vectors emphasise the movement of the plants while simultaneously abstracting it. The real substance, the flower, constantly mutates into an ephemeral object whereby the real and the artificial are able to coexist harmoniously. What is geometric, digital, abstract and mathematical amplifies the potential for an artefact to become an object of veneration.

Natures 1, Natures 2 and Natures 3 are available exclusively through Sedition and are part of a wider series that combines a live audio-visual performance in collaboration with composer Mira Calix and cellist Oliver Coates with the computer edited video footage. The entire Natures collection is available at a 20% discount. The Natures series was originally commissioned by Faster Than Sound and Aldeburgh Music in 2009.

Quayola works and lives in London.

Credits:
Commissioned by Faster Than Sound and Aldeburgh Music
Music: Mira Calix, Oliver Coates
Producer: Joana Seguro
Assistants: D. Knowles, G. Berton, Y. Li, G. Korossy, P. Marquez, Mokhtarzateh, M. Gil, G. Gremigni, G. Polizzi