Open Exhibition Invite 1

Submissions are sought for an Open Exhibition Send us a visual interpretation of the term ‘Object Abuse’   September 21st to December 15th 2013, at Spinach: a central London space.   A Private View shall take place on the 12th Dec 2013. Contributions will be accepted until the day before the private view.  All artwork […]

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Open Exhibition invite 2

Submissions are sought for an Open Exhibition Send us a visual interpretation of the term ‘Object Abuse’   All artwork will be exhibited and artists credited.   September 21st to December 15th 2013, at Spinach: a central London space.   A Private View shall take place on the 12th Dec 2013. Contributions will be accepted […]

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Tom Watson

  Tom Watson has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Title: Soft Touch (Life jacket & Thread, Height 20x Width 25x Depth 2cm, 2012) “I emulated the required thickness of leather by wrapping polyurethane foam in the polyester outer, and then following exactly the craft of master whip maker Ron Edwards,  to produce […]

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Tom Watson

  Tom Watson has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Title: Untitled (Padded chair & fixings, 1.5x1x2m, 2010) “I dismantled & reconstituted a chair with the same tool of its original construction. The piece offered the fantasy scenario of lighting the polyurethane foam on the floor behind, sitting facing backwards placing your head […]

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Nick Pearson

Nick Pearson has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Title: Japanese Temple Visiting an ancient temple near Tokyo with a Japanese friend (who was proudly reciting the ancient credentials of the several hundred years-old wooden building she was showing us) I noticed a couple of carpenters working on one of the internal supporting posts. […]

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Alison Carlier

Alison Carlier has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, […]

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Michelle Atherton

Michelle Atherton has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Title: Untitled – 2010 Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is […]

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Torsten Lauschmann

Torsten Lauschmann has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. This Photograph shows a Wabag warrior in Papua New Guinea wearing a Kellogg’s tin for decoration. Photograph by Michael Leahy  (around 1934) National Library of Australia. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look […]

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Ben Rivers

Ben Rivers has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, […]

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Jaspar Joseph Lester

Jaspar Joseph Lester has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not […]

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Lea Torp Nielsen

Lea Torp Nielsen has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, […]

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Hannah Shaw

Hannah Shaw has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. This image is the first of a series. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the […]

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Simon Barker & Nayan Kulkarni

Simon Barker & Nayan Kulkarni (still from multi-channel video), 2012 (found gateway embellishments, Medway, Kent)   Simon Barker and Nayan Kulkarni have offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious […]

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Marie von Heyl

Marie von Heyl has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not […]

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Richard Sides

Richard Sides has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, where does […]

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Natalie Finnemore

Title: Untitled (studio 1), 2012, pencil & water colour on paper, 30.5 x 22cm Natalie Finnemore has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who […]

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Ben Connell

Ben Connell has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, where […]

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Ruth Herbert

Title: Hands Ruth Herbert has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, […]

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Eugene Nyee Macki

Eugene Nyee Macki has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, where […]

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Cerlin Karunaratne

‘Punched Pointy Hat’   Cerlin Karunaratne has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and […]

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Lindsey Mendick

Lindsey Mendick has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, where does […]

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McCormack+Gent

‘Dumb Fixity’ ‘Listening Series’ McCormack+Gent has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not […]

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Keith Arnatt

Keith Arnatt’s photograph has been adopted, as a speculative interpretation’ of Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, […]

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Galen Riley

Galen Riley has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, where does […]

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Prof. Dale Russell

‘MacAir Table Wedge’ 2012 ‘G5 Coffee Table for Smokers’ Brighton 2012   Prof. Dale Russell has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is […]

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Harriet Davies

‘No Climbing’ ‘Oh Dear’   Harriet Davies has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is […]

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Rebecca Stewart

‘Smudge Tool 5’ ‘Smudge Tool 13’   Rebecca Stewart has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question […]

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Lucy Cash

‘3rd February’ ‘1st May’   Lucy’s contribution is from a year-long project – 1 x Polaroid. In 2008 Polaroid announced that its instant film was to be discontinued. On January 1st 2009, I decided to take a single Polaroid for the next 365 days. My aim was simple: to make an image every day, to […]

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Karen David

‘Apophyllite VI’, 2011, Acrylic on canvas with apophyllite crystal, 51x50cm ‘Triangle Charging Station’, 2012, acrylic on canvas (with chair), 47x40cm ‘Magnetite Effect’, plinth, 40,000-year-old Canyon Diablo Meteorite from Arizona, USA and compass, 2012 ‘SiO2’, 2012, acrylic on canvas with clear quartz, 45x70cm ‘S3’, 2012, acrylic on canvas with sulphur crystal, 150x150cm ‘Desert Rose’, 2011, acrylic […]

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Pheobe Wild

Pheobe Wild has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, where […]

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Jim Howieson

‘Reformed Bat’   Jim Howieson has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not […]

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Richard Taylor

Richard Taylor has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, where […]

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Gary Simmonds

Squeege   Gary Simmonds has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, […]

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Sharon Kivland

Title: ma poufiasse. deer’s head Sharon Kivland has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive […]

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Andy Welland

Andy Welland has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, where […]

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Dave Green

Dave Green has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, where […]

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Amy Davis

Amy Davies has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, where […]

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Robyn Leroy Evans

Robyn Leroy Evans has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, where […]

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Arcimboldo Mug

Arcimboldo Mug has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, where does […]

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Ruth Wilde

Title: Mixed Up Things   Ruth Wilde has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is […]

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Julie Westerman

Julie Westerman has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, where does […]

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Robin Close

Robin Close has offered a ‘visual interpretation’ of the term: Object abuse. Each one of these visual interpretations adds insight and depth to what exactly Object Abuse might look like. This question is by no means obvious when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active, where […]

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Object abuse asks the question:
who or what is being abused?

Object Abuse has been set up to provide a platform for people to discuss, provoke and question the very nature and orientation of objects. The aim is to readdress the unquestioned drives of our collective pursuits, to turn the tables on the object-subject dynamic.

This investigation’s relevance is reflected in recent developments in philosophy, shifts in our socio-cultural landscape and is finding expression in the visual arts. This questioning of our human-centric perspective is reflected through current ideas found in the works of Bruno Latour, Graham Harman, Quentin Meillassoux, Anselm Franke and others.

The question: what exactly is object abuse is by no means obvious, when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active? Also it is worth asking where does the form of abuse originate from? What qualifies abuse, is it quantifiable, can we identify subtler variations? And for that matter; what is an object, or rather can we say what is not an object…with any real certainty?

OA‘s function is to invite a multidisciplinary engagement; to be a forum, a curatorial framework and an archival space.

We welcome expressions of interest and contributions to the ongoing debate.