Page 69 - Reader's House magazine

Terence Hannum explores psychoactive plants in his sculptures, discussing mortality, technology the uncanny, blending art and nature into immersive experiences. the intersection between nature and exis- Renowned for his evocative exploration of tence, Terence Hannum’s artistic practice seamlessly blends the realms of sculpture, painting technology. With an innovative approach that employs 3D modelling and printing, Hannum’s work vividly captures the essence of psychoactive and poisonous plants, inviting viewers to ponder themes of mortality, transformation the uncanny. His installations are not merely static displays but living entities that infiltrate and interact with their surround- ings, creating immersive environments that challenge our perceptions of life and decay. Hannum delves into the inspirations behind his thought-provoking sculptures and the creative proces- ses that inform his unique installations. He reflects on how science fiction influences his artistic vision and the ways in which he manipulates materials and ligh- ting to evoke an otherworldly quality in his work. Join us as we explore the mind of an artist who is resha- ping our understanding of botanical forms and their implications for existence, inviting us to confront the delicate balance between beauty and decay. What drew you to explore the themes of psychoactive and poisonous plants in your sculptures how do they relate to concepts of existence and mortality? I was drawn to psychoactive and poisonous plants in sculpture mainly through my paintings, I had been painting these plants and then was te- aching 3D modelling and de- Terence Hannum discusses cided to try and generate some sculptures with the technology. I thought it could be a good way to have say, a base of forms, leaves, stems, buds, flowers - that could grow as the installation grew. The work relates to existence and mor- tality in a few ways, one coming out of a still life tradition in the paintings always points to this frozen moment in time, often works would incorpo- rate flowers that do not bloom at the same time, or bugs and elements of decay. However, the sculptures to me kind of grow take over spaces infiltra- ting the architecture. In a way it is more a comment on our existence, fleeting, overtaken by D R A F T The interplay of life, decay technology A Journey Through Nature’s Shadows In what ways do science fiction and botany intersect in your artistic practice how do they inform the design and presentation of your plants and decay. installations? Can you describe your creative process when I am a huge fan of science fiction, to me it is the un- modelling your pieces in 3D software? How canny that the genre can allow us to talk about one thing different lighting. The shadows kind of make the work. Having them come out of white wal- ls and be translucent or iridescent or glow n the dark kind of gives them this otherworldly quality that I find important. So I experiment a lot with filament or resins and how they appear. How does your homage to Invasion of the Body Snatchers inform the conceptual and visual elements of your installations, particularly in relation to themes of transforma- tion and reality? I always found the ideas in Jack Finney’s book in- teresting but probably best expressed in the Kaufman film from 1978. I always loved that every piece of plant life became suspect. And how so many things in the ba- ckground helped reinforce the idea of this invasion of corrupted doubles. So to me it was more, what is the real one, the one who transformed or the original host who is discarded. I also liked the invented pods and plant life in the film. does this technology influence the final out- while addressing another. Be it Jeff VanderMeer’s “An- come of your work? nihilation” or classics like “Invasion of the Body Snatc- hers” or “Day of the Triffids” I think it allows us to read I tend to break down whatever I am trying to model, it as is, but have beneath it like a larger discussion. For sometimes it is a very specific flower - jimsonweed or me it is a way of maybe addressing climate change, for foxglove - or I am mutating or allowing the process example plants that are translucent, not needing sunlight to reign over botanical accuracy. My process tends to photosynthesize, these exist in nature anyway, but like to break down the form, sculpting a petal or flower, what about changing botanical characteristics to make then sculpting a leaf or stem and then combing them plants parasitic and hostile to our existence. into different configurations. I tend to start small and combine multiple sculpts into one. It really is behol- The installation features translucent flowers den to the technology, mainly the 3D printing process, with delicate lighting—how do you choose the sometimes I don’t know until it is complete if it works. materials and lighting to enhance the “alien I may need to tweak it or the supports are too robust. qualities” of your work? With your diverse exhibition history, how do you adapt your work for different gallery spaces what impact do you hope your installations have on the audience? I tend to think of each exhibition as unique, so the ar- chitecture of the space both inside and out are fair game for the installation. If I am proposing something I may fo- cus on a specific unique architectural attribute, like work hanging from the ceiling or continuing outside. For me, the impact I would hope is one of the uncanny, organic sculptural forms overtaking architecture, glowing or fee- ling like they assist in the decay of the building. That is what I am going for. This is really the experiment, I make a lot of small prototypes to see how the material will work and then try Reader’s House II 69