MATTHEW BURROWS - Artist's Writings 2

Dear All

I have now spent some time in 'Up Down'. My first impressions and conclusions have been challenged and expanded upon since first meeting 'If'. 'If' is the son of one of the first families to arrive in this new world. Mythic immigrants detached from their native culture, living life in a post apocalyptic children's playground. 'If' introduced me to a community that seemed to offer clarity and a robust sense of their own identity. But it is clear now that this was my ignorance and not their simplicity. Righteousness is not exactly ambiguous but bound by sophisticated and complex stories. Histories, prophesies, confessions, poetry, parables and commandments. Built upon their conception of 'The Law of Gravity' it offers not so much a set of complete instructions, but an insight into their collective cultural amnesia. It is as if their memory is forward looking and not backward.

I can see that this may seem confusing, let me explain. The law of gravity, as I was to learn, is their first and greatest commandment. A rough translation would be that you are not allowed to touch the floor. As I discovered it is not a material law, some do literally touch the floor, but is mythic. From it stemmed their understanding of divine and human love, humility, patience, trust, justice and hope. There are of course many theological interpretations. These fall broadly into two camps. The first believe that the law is a constant reminder of a metaphysical presence in their lives. The ground is sacred and although bodily connection with the floor is allowed it is done with the strictest reverence and respect.

The second take the law to mean that contact with the floor is a communion with the devil. Anything that lives on or grows from the ground is to be avoided. Anything that protects you from that communion is to be venerated. These include their clothes, rubber boots and gloves - they even wear facemasks to avoid breathing in pollen produced by the earthbound plants.

Their theory of memory is bound in their apocalyptic vision. The apocalypse has happened, it is not the future, but the past. Their lack of historical evidence has given rise to an upended and revealed conception of memory. A popular theory is this: We, and our communal identity, are like a stone - which has been hurled into a pond. The stone sinks to the bottom and stays put. But this stone is conscious. It looks and sees the ripples expanding, out over the surface as the ripples expand so to does our memory. The ripples are materially finite, but not spiritually. So memory expands and is revealed evolving into a state of mysticism. I would like to explain more about the hand that throws the stone, but I fear I do not quite grasp its significance myself, maybe next time. Please do keep showing my paintings, they express best what it is like to live in this strange and beautiful place.

Best wishes