In conservation “disassociation” refers to objects that are lost due to human error as a result of the inevitability of organised structures coming apart over time. We were interested in showing “And I Paused” as part of the Borough Art Labs series because of e.t. life project’s examination of how complex thoughts are arranged in the human brain as compared to ordered archival systems. How do we trace the human decisions that have been made to categorise and tag works? Can we ever truly reconcile our abstract ideas with the specific terminology of the archive? Perhaps then through the inevitable disintegration of this organised structure, a deeper understanding can be reached.

Caught somewhere between states, between lines of text and a solid line of ink, these images are neither decorative art nor prose. I am instead creating a physical pause within the process of a photocopy by moving the image with the laser. Very broadly, as a neurodiverse thinker who likes to experiment with generating patterns for print, these copies/collages seek to destroy the system of the dictionary. The dictionary is a familiar representation of words, language and communication. Some neurodiverse thinkers have trouble grasping these components and so create their own alternative versions in order to communicate effectively. The flexibility of language is being celebrated here, alongside a critique of the complex rules that govern even the smallest of interactions.

- et life projects