Escape Plan 101 - Lee Woodman, Nelson, NZ [Video]

Escape Plan 101 is an art installation created by Lee Woodman which exhibited at NMIT’s g_space gallery in July & August of 2019.

Ladders of differing scales and sizes formed the key element of the installation -- all painstakingly hand-made by Lee from recycled materials.

These along with other structural elements were clamped and positioned along with specific lighting and three projectors to create this installation which transformed the space in an extraordinary way.

A background soundtrack accompanied the video shown on the projectors adding another dimension to the environment.

This was Lee’s second ‘Escape Plan’ themed work. He first used ladders as a guest artist for the Nelson Suter Art Society in April 2019 in a sculpture simply titled ‘Escape Plan’.

Escape Plan 101 is a further development of those ideas.

“At first it was simply the reproduction of the ladder motif using found timber, and then stretching it, exaggerating the form and proportions in various ways. That still is the case but it has evolved into using individual pieces in combinations to achieve other structures such as bridges, towers, cranes, scaffold stages.”

The work evoked a range of responses and interpretations, something Lee recognises and encourages.

“I like that people see a wide range of things in these installations, ultimately I want people to read their own interpretation out of it, and it is accessible (no pun intended) in that most people know what a ladder is and what it’s used for, and have some association to it. In this vein my work here is not conceptual, or even intellectual, it is low art, things made from other things and things that are readily recognisable.”

Escape Plan 102 is the third in this series and currently on display at Lee and Ann’s gallery ’18a’ located at 18a Vanguard Street, Nelson.

The 18a project space is open Tuesday-Thursday 11am-5:30pm, Fridays 11am-6pm & Saturdays 11am-3pm and by appointment. For details on projects, contact: Ann Braunsteiner 021 548 252 or email 18avanguard@gmail.com.
Facebook @18avanguard
Instagram @18a_vanguard
Lee’s website: leewoodman.co.nz