Snake Pis James R Ford

James R Ford's Snake Pis contemplate properties of the universe and its random yet cyclical/infinite nature using the irrational mathematical constant pi and variables of the snake. Versions in the series highlight physical dimensions, time, sound, mass and energy, and eternal cycle represented by the Ouroboros. This exhibition features a number of Snake Pi works utilising audio, animation, print and sculpture all of which engage with an aesthetic that alludes to the general bizarreness of life and the universe.

The first Snake Pi was born from the idea of quantum mechanics – the way that particles can pop in and out of existence, taking on unobservable random forms and assemblages of molecules. Or, put another way: if you kept coming across a snake an infinite number of times, in at least one of the instances it would be curled into the shape of the pi symbol. The second iteration of this work is Snake Pi (version 1ii) – a floppy blue snake measuring 3.14 metres in length, covered in skulls and adorned with golden eyes.

Visitors to the exhibition get an edible treat thanks to Sweet Snake Pi. Initially weighing 3.14kg, this mass of multicoloured gummy snakes displayed on a set of analogue scales is free for gallery goers to eat. In a state of flux, the scales’ measurement and reducing blob of colour elegantly show the transformation of mass to energy as the sweets are slowly consumed by gallery goers. Perhaps also acknowledging that it takes energy to consume art mentally.

James R Ford is a British-born artist who studied at Goldsmiths, London (UK), and has been published and exhibited internationally.

Presented alongside Hayden Prujean and Carlos Wedde Deep Sea Dis-comedusae and Polly Stanton Hallway