Mat Collishaw Nottingham, UK, b. 1966
Further images
The Centrifugal Soul (2016) is a monumental zoetrope created in collaboration with Geoffrey Miller, a renowned contemporary evolutionary psychologist. A zoetrope, an elegant invention from the Victorian era, often appears in Collishaw’s work, invoking a time when the fascination with movement and optical illusions paralleled the birth of modern scientific exploration. This historical reference deepens the piece’s symbolism, reflecting both a technical marvel of the past and a meditation on the persistence of natural instincts.
At the heart of the zoetrope, a rotating platform adorned with models of birds and flowers spins at 60 rpm, bathed in strobe lights flashing every second. This delicate choreography creates an optical illusion of motion, where the birds seem to hover above the blooming buds, engaging in elaborate courtship dances, displaying their vivid plumage. These natural rituals, driven by evolutionary imperatives, symbolize the survival and perpetuation of life. Yet, the mechanical nature of the zoetrope suggests a constructed narrative, one that questions the boundary between nature's organic rhythms and human-made representations. The audience is drawn into a contemplation of not just the birds’ instincts but the human desire to control, observe, and understand the natural world.
In The Centrifugal Soul, Collishaw invites the audience to confront the paradoxes of time, motion, and instinct, reflecting on the deeper forces that govern both the natural world and our perception of it.
Exhibitions
Mat Collishaw. The Machine Zone. Tatintsian Gallery, Dubai. Sep 27–Dec 30, 2022
Mat Collishaw. The Machine Zone. Gary Tatintsian Gallery. Feb 25–Jun 25, 2022
The End of Innocence. Sorigue Foundation, Lleida. Sep 20, 2019–Mar 28, 2021
A Trick of the Light. Grundy Art Gallery. Blackpool, Uk. Sep 28–Dec14, 2019
Enjoy, Art meets Amusement (curated by Danilo Eccher). Chiostro del Bramante, Rome, Italy. Sep 23, 2017–Feb 25, 2018
Mat Collishaw, The Centrifugal Soul. Castle Howard, York, UK. Mar 24–Oct 4, 2018
Dominion. New Media Gallery, New Westminster, Canada. Aug 5–Oct 1, 2017
The Centrifugal Soul. Blain | Southern, London, UK, 2017
On the Origins of Art MoNA, Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania. Nov 5, 2016–Apr 17, 2017