the journey from Irrational Disquiet to Sensing Disorientation

From late autumn until early spring, Torre Abbey is closed to visitors. Its windows are veiled, or hidden by shutters and the rooms are kept in gloom or darkness to protect the collections. By February, I began to visit the abbey every day. The weather was so cold I wore layers of clothes in anticipation of the freezing interior, but found that all the rooms were pleasantly warm, kept at a steady temperature and carefully controlled humidity all year round to preserve the museum and its contents.

I looked for places to sit and draw where I could find enough available light. I was invited to open shutters and turn on lamps, but the pools of daylight were so beguiling and they faded towards the end of the afternoon, clearly marking the track of the day.

I made the drawings to counter my disorientation – mapping representations of floor plans.

Work continues in the building – cleaning, restoration, some new installations – but in the vast space, it’s never clear where sounds are coming from. I listen to footsteps and indistinct laughter and make recordings of the distant noises.