Will It Float?

By Kane Applegate

Kane is a scavenger; his practice is fed by an ever-growing collection of abandoned and abused materials and objects, discarded and disregarded by the citizens of Southampton. Working with these found things, he builds sculptures and structures that explore the notion of three physical forces: balance, compression and tension. In their final form, his sculptures become illusions; the objects, stripped of their function, stack, balance and bend in seemingly impossible ways.

Will It Float? explores ideas of displacement, motion and transformation. The work begins with a found object, in this instance a neglected kayak, which has been adapted and transformed into a land-based boat, complete with a set of wheels. The artist will attempt to ride the vehicle down Old Northam Road and into the gallery space to launch the project. Over the course of the six week exhibition, he will paint, break and remake the sculpture, displaying a new version of the work each week.

The exhibition was in the windows of the Hidden Wardrobe Friday 2nd April to Sunday 16th May 2021.