Patrick Hough
Patrick hough is an Irish artist and filmmaker exploring the links between cinema, technology and archaeology. He is preoccupation with Egyptian mythologies and archaeology but through the lens of cinematography and re-made artefacts as props.
‘In a thousand years’ is a film created in response to the discovery and excavation of Cecelia de Milne 1930s ‘The Ten Commandments’ Film Set which was discovered in the Californian sands. The set itself one of the largest in film history and ‘De Milne’ buried it post filming because it was more effort to deconstruct and he didn’t want anyone else to use it. It raises questions about object histories when the archaeological object is in fact a replica ‘prop’ created for cinematic purposes. The film is part poetic narrative spoken by the excavated ’sphinx’ as she muses on her existence poses questions to what, who and why she is.
‘If in a thousand years’ creates discussion surrounding object histories, working with replica artefacts from a cinematic context. The embodiment of past culture within a fake artefact which in itself depicts something of the archaeology of cinema in the time in which it was created. What is significant is that this set and its artefacts are ‘fake’ but still embodies perception of ancient Egypt as depicted by cinematography in the 1930s.
These props are indeed archaeological artefacts, having lay buried in the sands they become an archaeology of cinema. Opposing, contradicting our perception of what archaeology can be. His work questions what we can learn about the present from ‘digging up the recent past and in this case a subjective view of the ancient past.
‘Object interviews’ opens up discourse on the relationship of cinema to history and history to fictioning. Specialist discuss the fake Egyptian cinema prop artefacts. Each interveiwee coming from a specialised background; a curator of Egyptian artefacts, a social critical theorist and a prop maker.
When an object – a film prop – is removed from its original context and specialists of differing field are invited to analyse and offer interpretation upon it – it highlights that the use of an object is subjective and dependent upon the individuals point of view and experience. It highlights that in archaeological interpretation of ruins and artefacts, the time in which the viewer exists can not be separated and they bring their own preconceptions based upon the time in which they live. This is why archaeological interoperation of site is constantly evolving both based on new discovery but also upon changing ideology within society.
The ideas explored resonate ancient history to now – the flow of time, there is no end point and start point just a constant flux as well as considering the display of artefacts and the changing context of how we view these in a museam.
‘For if our visual history forms part of our visual culture, which itself mirrors our shifting socio-political context, then these objects can reveal much about the politics of representation within our systems of signification.’ – quote about Patrick Hough
https://www.rca.ac.uk/students/patrick-hough/
https://youngartistsinconversation.co.uk/Patrick-Hough
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