Phil Coy

Phil Coy, "Regency Refracted", 2009

Phil Coy

Phil Coy, "Regency Refracted", 2009, 2 Channel Stereoscopic DVD player with Cube Monitors and polished black Porcelain

 

Two cameras give slightly different perspectives of the reflection of a Regency House in Regents canal, London. The Ionic columns on the façade of this Regency building once symbolised a particular form of Greek government but have here been co-opted to represent that of a hierarchical monarchy. The simple device of upturning the building’s image refracted in the canal mocks the facades vainglorious appeal as it becomes distorted by a small breeze or rendered entirely abstract by the passing of a duck.

The work is presented as a stereoscopic video on two cube video monitors refracted into a modernist grid of polished black porcelain. The physical nature of the architectural subject is reflected in the sculptural presentation of the work. As we navigate the piece we might be prompted to consider the distortions implicit in all forms of hierarchical representation from ancient to modern but also to engage with the physical distortions inherent in our perception of images and the refractions made between camera and eye.

 

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—The Royal Republic, 15 May 2009