Artist : Mat Chivers
Title : Out-breath
Medium : nylon
Dimensions : 30 x 23 x 21 cm


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Outbreath is a life-size representation of the normally invisible turbulence trail formed in the air around us each time we exhale. It was built in collaboration with researchers in the field of motion capture at The University of Bristol, UK. A piece of solid carbon dioxide was placed in the hollow below the artists tongue and normal breathing maintained. The C02 melted, becoming a gaseous cloud that was documented using three synchronised high speed digital cameras. One image was selected from over 100,000 frames of footage. The artist then drew on each still image to define the surface of the nebulous form. Using digital software, the drawings were transcribed to create a virtual geometry that was three dimensionally printed. The sculpture is wall-mounted at a level that corresponds to the height of the artists mouth from the floor when standing. As a result of the processes employed in its production, Outbreath can be seen as a hybrid object that conflates drawing - a traditional method of understanding the world - with contemporary digital envisioning technology. 

The work of British artist Mat Chivers looks at some of the fundamental phenomena that drive our thoughts and actions. He explores ideas relating to perception, evolutionary process, ecology and ethics by bringing traditional analogue approaches to making into counterpoint with state of the art digital technologies. Chivers has works in numerous private and public collections including Oxford University Mathematical Institute, UK and Fondazione Henraux, Italy. Solo exhibitions include ‘Migrations’ at Arsenal Art Contemporain Montréal, Canada and Musée d’art de Joliette, Canada; ‘Harmonic Distortion’ at PM/AM, London, UK, ‘Altered State’s at Hallmark House, Johannesburg, South Africa and ‘Syzygy’ at Anima Mundi. Group exhibitions include The New States of Being at Centre d’Exposition de l’Université de Montréal, Canada; A Place In Time at Nirox, Johannesburg, South Africa; Glasstress: White Light/White Heat at Pallazzo Cavalli Franchetti for the 55th Venice Biennale, Italy and The Knowledge at The Gervasuti Foundation for the 54th Venice 
Biennale, Italy.