Change My Mind: What do I Dare.
Andrew Carnie.
18 April 2022
Well, making work for Change my Mind proved quite difficult. I designed the template for everyone else to work with and expand their ideas on and then had to undertake the process myself. It was not as easy as I imagined. Not because making work is hard, but actually when you think about changing your mind, what would you actually want to change.
Planning the work on templates for the Change My Mind Andrew Carnie March 2022
I thought really hard about how I would change my mind, what would I want to change. I am healthy and don’t feel I have any particularly debilitating defects I need to compensate for. I do forget some things and would like to remember more. But, generally my mind/brain is an incredible mechanism that has given me a creative career, and much of the artwork that I have completed over the years I am happy with; it has pushed beyond my expectations.
Works laid out in development for the Change My Mind Andrew Carnie March 2022
I find it troubling that having a possible brain implant might 'mess up' what I have, and I know from projects I have been working on that one of the issues with even basic devices that are being trialled presently is the issue of interference between signals going into the brain and those coming out.
'Joining The Two' early test work from the project Change My Mind Andrew Carnie March 2022
So, aside from an improvement in memory I was a little stumped, though I did try lots of variations as in the illustrated works involving electrical circuitry. Paramount if anything was 'added' to the complex system of the brain I feel it would have to be of an 'organic' nature compatible with the brain, wet biology i.e., something that connected and worked biologically, with and not against the brain. I aware the body has a real capacity for ‘digesting’ anything alien that resides within it; separating implants, encapsulating them in a fool proof manner is almost impossible.
'Eyes in the Back' early test work from the project Change My Mind Andrew Carnie March 2022
What I concluded was that what I wanted to do was make some form of overall improvement to my brain, a general boost not a particular improvement. So as for an implant, what I decided on some form of 'reseeding', growing extra neurons in an organised way to improve my mind. I liked this idea as it also acknowledged a kind of link to what was also there present in the world. A natural growth. I think it so important to acknowledge the environment and the important link we have with it in our development. Again, lots of tests were made.
'Re-Sow' early test work from the project Change My Mind. Andrew Carnie March 2022
'Implanting' early test work from the project Change My Mind Andrew Carnie March 2022
So, for my work piece I simply decided I wanted to 'grow' something additive within my brain. I made three attempts to accomplish this and they are my three images for 'Change my Mind'. A work simply adding extra plants, neuron-trees, in painted form, actually growing cress seeds in the space left on the work to add the input and then lodging a whole small tree in the space to hint at this extra growth. I like the idea it is a tree and it hints at the nature of these complex processes with as much below ground as above ground and their immense complexity, their responsiveness to the place where they are nurtured and the fact as science continues, we find them ever more complexly related to each other through micro-rhizomes.
The very final works all hint at the organic, regrowth and reseeding, maybe the possibility of just improving our brains, our psyche through environmental, educational and nurturing improvements. The group of works is called "InSeed" and can be seen below. At this moment in time 'Natural
Growth' is still growing and being photographed.
'Cultivate' one of the final works comprising "InSeed" for the project Change My Mind Andrew Carnie March 2022
'Natural Growth' one of the final works comprising "InSeed" for the project Change My Mind Andrew Carnie 2022
'Re Sow' one of the final works comprising "InSeed" for the project Change My Mind Andrew Carnie March 2022