SCAF Emerging Artists 2022 Exhibition Catalogue

Lost Synergy
The work questions the loss of synergy experienced when
co-operation between nation states is disrupted.
Such co-operation takes many forms – the work specifically
considers co-operation to improve mutual safety and
security given the international nature of terrorist and criminal
organisations.
Prior to leaving the European Union, UK authorities made
extensive use of the Schengen II (SIS II) database, which
provides a mechanism for member states to share and act on
real-time data on persons and objects of interest. Sharing such
data appears a good example of co-operation for overall mutual
benefit (i.e. synergy).
The UK is no longer entitled to use SIS II, with a proposed
alternative solution considered by a House of Lords committee
to be less satisfactory. Co-operation has been disrupted,
synergies are likely to have been lost, the consequences for our
security are unknown. Public consideration of such matters has
been missed or avoided.
This political process is directly reflected in the development of
the ‘Lost Synergy’ work, with layers within the work representing
stages of Data creation, Connection and Co-operation,
Disruption, Obscuration and Distraction.
Data.
To represent SIS II data, a set of imagery was created alluding
to identification and tracking of persons and objects, data entry,
and database processes and alerts, representing the building
blocks of co-operation and synergy. Some of the imagery
has been left recognisable, some abstracted. The underlying
layers of the work have been created from this imagery by
monoprinting, collagraphs and image transfer.
www.russellhughesart.co.uk
Scott Creative Arts Foundation