A programme of short films by artist Nick Jordan. With a documentary approach, Jordan’s films present oblique, layered narratives that explore the interconnections between natural, social and cultural histories. This programme includes new film Kobbwebjar, and Stratum, co-directed by Jacob Cartwright.
Films presented as part of this screening:
Nick Jordan: Kobbwebjar (2018, 5 mins)
A mysterious figure conjures a remedy from jars of spider webs and beeswax, whilst studying the pages of ‘Micrographia’ (Robert Hooke, 1665); the first book to illustrate insects and plants as observed through the lens of a microscope.
Nick Jordan & Jacob Cartwright: Stratum (2018, 12 mins)
Stratum is a film that navigates through post-industrial landscapes on the European Route of Industrial Heritage, from Britain’s abandoned South Yorkshire coal seams to the culturally re-purposed collieries of the Ruhr Valley, Germany, via the former coal-mining region of Wallonia, Belgium.
Nick Jordan: The Atom Station (2015, 14 mins)
The Atom Station is a film centred upon the industrial and natural landscape of Iceland; interfusing the cultural, economic and ecological forces that shape the island. From vaporous hot springs and lava fields to the peculiar structures of geothermal power stations, the film combines Iceland’s dramatic and volatile terrain with two corresponding voice-overs from the past and present: poet W.H. Auden, reading ‘Journey to Iceland’ (1937), and environmental activist Ómar Ragnarsson.
Nick Jordan: The Rising (2014, 15 mins)
The Rising is a short film which depicts an invasive alien species, Giant Hogweed, as it rapidly colonizes a lowland riverbank in northern England. Part natural history, part sci-fi, The Rising features an atmospheric soundtrack score by Lord Mongo, and presents the alien interloper as both a dangerous, toxic menace and impressive, natural wonder.
Nick Jordan: Nature House Inc. (2013, 6 mins)
A short film which centres upon the proliferation of bird houses, erected to attract the Purple Martin – ‘America’s Most Wanted Bird’. The extraordinary abundance of man-made habitats reflects a desire to live in close proximity to nature, in a suburban, small town setting.