2011 was the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible – and coming from a Scottish background, I can tell you that the KJV was a powerful force for my ancestors, and continues to be so today. So it’s fascinating to see the installation that was put together for the Edinburgh City Arts Centre by brilliant artist David Mach. His massive installation featured collages of scenes of Hell, Heaven and key speaking points from the KJV – Revelations, the Ark, the Garden of Eden. Hell he imagined in different cities – Paris, Tokyo, Dublin – and his collage work bursts with energy and color. He also constructed matchstick busts of Jesus and the Devil, which were ceremoniously burned and reborn into new sculptures. But what fascinates me most is his coat hanger sculpture…have you ever tried to twist a wire coat hanger into something useful? I have, many times, for uses as widely varied as plumbing to car mechanics (holding on my muffler, connecting my gas pedal to my VW bus engine), and I can tell you, it’s hard as fuck. But David Mach twists wire coat hangers around colossal statues of man and animal, creating a forcefield of hooks around them. It’s like their energies and auras have become visible, and are so forceful they compel you to keep your distance. This is kind of how imagine all living things to look on one plane of vision – balls of energy, with solar flares looping out of our bodies at one another as we propel ourselves through life. So David Mach has made this a reality for me, and I thank him for it. Some of the coat hanger pieces are form his Precious Light exhibits and most are not, but enjoy all of them…plus check out a video of him burning the Devil.
David Mach, Precious Light from David Mach on Vimeo.
