Ant’s previous works of squished flowers channeled themes of fleeting time, however Memento Mori looks at stillness and the vastness of time arranged within various objects – they’re more visually complicated and materially ambitious. Some pieces carry autobiographical references drawn from Ant’s own memories and domestic details; like driving his friends around on ‘maccy’s runs’; visiting gingham clad greasy spoons whilst touring British seaside towns with his parents; and the cocktail cabinet that he owns with his fiancé. “ I wanted each piece to feel generous, with layers that reveal themselves slowly. Wherever you look, there is something else to notice – a shift in texture, a small detail tucked into the corner, or something slightly unexpected that changes how the whole piece is read,” says Ant.
But how does Ant actually make these? “It usually begins with rolls of fabric and offcuts, then I draw directly onto the fabric and let the piece take shape from there. It’s a long meticulous process and a real labour of love,” shares Ant. “Everything is cut, sewn, stuffed, and pressed individually.” Each work is layered and stitched together, creating hundreds of separate elements, but it’s helped with local fabricators in Lewes and Brighton on the perspex elements. Inspired by Belgian painter Bram Bogart, who creates textures that make you “want to touch them”, Ant is inspired by the tactility of physical materials – he wants soft, but simultaneously rough. Tangible textures that tease the viewer.
By hand-making then flattening the sculptures, Ant looks to remove their original function – the food can no longer be eaten, the candles will not burn, the dishes will never be clean – recreating the tensions in daily life, that up-hill struggle to defrost the stillness of life. “The trompe l’oile objects take the place of actors, suspended mid-scene”, but in their stillness, they invite viewers to slow down and notice quiet beauty in our routines. The fragments, leftovers and fossils of our lives are worthwhile, even if discarded like burger wrappers. Sometimes, we are late to the party and all of the balloons have fallen to the ground, but one can appreciate the afterglow of a moment just as much as the heat of the moment.