Backstage with Adam Moore
A Conversation on Art, Culture and Community
Written by Felicia Mascarenhas
Adam Moore is one of three artists commissioned to create an art piece in a public space in Newham as part of the Culture Within Newham project Art on Your Doorstep.
Adam has a background in dance, and extensive experience in performance, photography and videography, but for this project he has developed a neon light installation which will sit in the windows of Beckton Globe Library. This public artwork has been shaped by community stories and contributions on life in Newham.
As a Community Curator working on the public engagement with Adam’s new work, I had the opportunity to interview Adam alongside Sophie Crocker from Culture Within Newham. Below Adam dives into the driving inspirations behind his art and how this feeds into his most recent project.
What inspires his work?
Felicia: You said you're most experienced in dance, how will you use it on the project you're working on now?
Adam: I'm thinking compositionally, focusing on where things are placed and how they interact. How the piece speaks to people looking at it and how this impacts their movement.
I'm interested in the choreography of social spaces and how it dictates how people experience space and interact with each other.
People tend to stop outside [Beckton Globe], but if you see this work you might pause and be more still in the space. I'm interested in how the work will shift people's attention and what that does to them.
“There’s space to think, breathe and just be [in Newham].”
Beckton Globe Library before Adam’s installation. Photo by Felicia Mascarenhas
Felicia: You've created lots of art in public places in Newham. Why Newham? What does that mean to you?
Adam: I create art in Newham because it's where I live. I work and cycle around the docks and have lived here most of my life. It’s a strange urban cityscape which greatly inspires me.
There's space to think, breathe and just be here. Maybe a quarter of the work I've made or more has featured this area in some way.
There is a very interesting relationship between the context and practice of art, between where you are and what you make. This has always been very important to me and has developed over time in my work.
Art on Your Doorstep
Felicia: How will you execute your ideas in the project?
Adam: With this project, I'm keen to find out from the people who use the space why they use it, why they keep coming back and what's important to them. I asked people [who use Beckton Globe Library] if they wanted to write or draw something based on their experiences in this space.
I take inspiration from their designs and will create my artwork based on those ideas. I plan to create three different compositions from what I’ve collected.
In the fabrication process, I will create the neon lights and also build timber frames to affix the neons to the frame.
Felicia: I've seen some of your other art pieces and they use a variety of different mediums. Why have you chosen light for this project?
Adam: Light is something I've not worked with before and I always like to work on projects where I feel there's enough space and time to try something different.
Everything reacts to light i.e. plants, birds, seasons, and people. Generally speaking, light isn’t always something we consciously think about but it draws people's attention and makes people feel a bit more comfortable. The space outside [Beckton Globe Library] also tends to be quite illuminated, making the space feel safer.
Forms of light like Christmas tree lights, sunrises or eclipses can be quite sensational. Simultaneously, they're not disruptive in a space but can notably affect people.
I also think of the library as a central beacon, which attracts all the different groups that come here. It is well-used and there are lots of communities here. It would be lovely to create a sign that represents or speaks to what they're doing, what they are bringing and what they receive from being here.
“Light isn’t always something we consciously think about but it draws people’s attention and makes people feel a bit more comfortable.”
Lights of Unity
Adam’s work will be officially unveiled on Wednesday 22 May at Beckton Globe Library.
Join the launch event, programmed by the Community Curators, from 4.00 – 6.00pm for refreshments and art activities inside the library, where you’ll be invited to create art inspired by what brightens your world.
Come join us in this celebration of community voices and light! Learn more.