by Ann Jones
It’s often easy to get lost in one’s own thoughts looking at a piece of art; paintings and photographs can suggest stories or remind us of familiar narratives but it’s up to us to fill in the gaps and, while we might be lost in the moment, we’re inevitably on the outside looking in. In the cinema the story is easier to follow; more often than not the narrative is linear and there is dialogue drawing our attention to the things we shouldn’t miss. Films are populated by a cast of characters with whom we form some kind of connection, however short-lived. But no matter how much we suspend disbelief and get caught up in the story, we’re safely on the outside looking in. In Mike Nelson’s work all that changes.
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