Chater Paul Jordan: "Finding Andrew"

In this interview, we speak to Chater Paul Jordan that creates work within the 4D department of Fine Art.

What is the title of your work?

"Finding Andrew".

Summarise the work in 5 words

Audio immersion accompanied by film.

Talk us through the process of creating your work

It is an exploration of society through the case of Andrew Gosden’s disappearance. Andrew tragically disappeared over ten years ago and has not yet been found. His case has been publicised widely by the media and the Missing People’s charity. In a sense, his face (as used by the advert) has become immortalised and idolised just as a celebrity endorsing a brand would - epitomising a fundamental problem within society. This is ultimately a human tragedy yet his case - the tragedy itself - has been lost just as much as he is too. I found a Reddit forum thread that discusses theories on his disappearance; I find this wholly perverse, creating in essence a fantasy out of his disappearance, epitomised by the chilling line (used within my work): “This is my pet case”. With lines such as these, I constructed an audio plane that immerses the viewer into these various perceptions of Andrew whilst his reconstructed image is presented to us, lobotomised. It seems now Andrew exists only within our minds as the Andrew we create through our own perceptions, which raises the question: to what extent is he truly lost?

How is the work "site-specific"?

The park was described as a "garden for the gardenless", a place of no prejudice and safety. All those who use the park are of different classes, gender, ethnicities and a whole plethora of factors yet these individuals make up the body that is known as ‘society’. Whilst this may seem idyllic and harmonious, this same society is that same society that has been responsible for cases such as Andrew. The park is a place of reflection, I hope that in this haven of respite my audience are able to reflect on their duty as a member of society and leave with a clear knowing of their contribution and role within it.

You can follow Chater Paul Jordan on instagram @chaterpauljordan