Disability Arts Online’s latest Covid Commission is Jon Adams’ Metaordinary – a series of geologically inspired artworks made by transforming everyday photographs submitted during lockdown.
Most days I don’t know if I’m an artist who likes science or a scientist who can draw but I feel both feed into my arts practice. As a child, I was terminally curious especially about the world around me, underneath me, and above but I seemed to experience it differently to others. I now know this was typically Neurodivergent, as I’m autistic, dyslexic and a synaesthete. Unlike those around me, I could taste colour and touch time so it wasn’t a surprise that after an abusive time at school spoiling my desire to go to art college I went to study geological time at university.
Recently my creative practice went from drawing ‘other people’s pictures’ to capturing the world in any medium relevant and I drew on my geological training and other interests: from mapping the London 2012 Olympics in a geological style, sound works for dancers made from cut stone photographs to digital imagery and social engagement with the latest project, ‘Metaordinary’.
I’m vulnerable so have had to stay in during this awful time so I thought; what could I suggest others do to share in an artwork? I’d created social engagement arts projects with ‘Dysarticulate’ flags, ‘Democracy Street’ road names and now I thought people could simply take and send photos of ordinary scenes around the house. Many autistic people seem good at transforming information, imagery, and words so disguising the origins came naturally. Disability Arts Online provided the opportunity with one of their Covid19 Commissions and people sent in images and I transformed them reminiscent of cut stone or mineral microscope slides, even adding a pseudo-geological name.
I’m glad people took part but what touched me were the comments. Not just thank you but for some, it seems the images resonated deeply. I have PTSD so knowing I’m helping others helps keep me centered but to hear how this touched people, meant the world to me.
The gallery below features the original images and the comment left by the person who submitted it, alongside my transformation and geological description.
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- @WheelchairKris: ‘Shielding Box’ the weekly government’s basics to keep shielders going.
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- A cross-section of ‘artesene’ a reclininiar rock revealing drawn & cabled crystals of displonazine & red slipptonite in a matrix of blue calmite
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- @IvanRiches: Locks Birthday
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- A cross-section of ‘artesene’ a reclininiar rock revealing drawn & cabled crystals of displonazine & red slipptonite in a matrix of blue calmite
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- @IvanRiches: Artists reclining during lockdown #Metaordinary
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- A cross-section of a stunning ‘laminated lignitineite’ revealing crystals of Sanazentinite Opercite & Legisine in a matrix of Beneessinite
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- @NADP_UK: Woodworking is keeping our Operations Manager sane in Lockdown London
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- A cross-section of a ‘silicified’ ring-coral fossil ‘justfonius ginae’ revealing an enclosing crystalline matrix of amourite & purple risusene with #precovidian trace fossils of other past lives
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- @JustFindGini: These are my rings, my memories of family, my loved ones. I regretfully took them off at the start of lockdown – for easier hand washing. They sit in a glass vase where I can look at them and be reminded of hugging, laughing and love.
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- A cross-section of Nubibusite (cloud like rock) shown in reflected light showing ornamental structures & fractures often found in others dreams
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- @OnAtuin: Clouds reflected.
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- A cross-section of Nubibusite (cloud like rock) shown in reflected light showing ornamental structures & fractures often found in others dreams
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- @simplegiftsgal: big fan…
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- A cross-section of Admiratozene showing ornamental flow structures & sperulites of ventilolite with other patterning & minor crystal stress fractures – no solifluxion of crystal edges detected
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- @AspieOrphan: My favorite mask with cats #MaskOffMaskBackOn similar to Cat Wants In/Cat Wants Out cartoon!
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- A cross-section of mascatite shown in reflected light with multiple felesonite ornamental yearning structures & fractures often found in in rocks that have endured high pressure for many years
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- @socialmodelin: Shadows on the wall represent social isolatin during lockdown
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- A cross-section of meta-sediments with an isolated coral ‘Quarentinus sp’ & ‘Vallumurus sp’ shown in reflected light revealing intimate & altered ornamental structures & fractures
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- @disabilityarts: large clock given by my friend Dave as a jokey response to problems with sleep – made more poignant during lockdown
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- A revealing cross-section of Tempestazite shown in reflected light showing somnolent fractures & linear structures similar to those found in crystals of pungerezine or inocusite
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- A cross-section or gerozite shown in polarised light showing fragmented crystal structures & fractures often found rocks from the Icelandic mid-Atlantic rift zone
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- A cross-section of derived & worn spherical fossils taken from a sediment of Corvidian age (shown in polarised light) showing relic ornamental structures – signs of life from a #PreCorvidian era
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- @CeriMAy81: My vital forms of #selfcare throughout turbulent lockdwn.Daily exercise spent visiting my reset sanctuary,Brechfa Forest, up the road.Also up rd is our 1st time allotment.Frm sowing v seeds 2 further utilising companion plants 2 add 2 herbal skincare
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- A cross-section of a Curansuinite sediment metamorphosised & shown in polarised light with fractures often found in other metamorphic rocks that have undergone stress – set in a matrix of Silvazene with Particeptite
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- @CeriMAy81: My vital forms of #selfcare throughout turbulent lockdwn.Daily exercise spent visiting my reset sanctuary,Brechfa Forest, up the road.Also up rd is our 1st time allotment.Frm sowing v seeds 2 further utilising companion plants 2 add 2 herbal skincare
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- A cross-section of another Curansuinite sediment shown in polarised light with banding often found in other metamorphic rocks that have undergone stress set in a matrix of Silvazene with Particeptite
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- @CeriMAy81: My vital forms of #selfcare throughout turbulent lockdwn.Daily exercise spent visiting my reset sanctuary,Brechfa Forest, up the road.Also up rd is our 1st time allotment.Frm sowing v seeds 2 further utilising companion plants 2 add 2 herbal skincare
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- A cross-section of another Curansuinite sediment shown in polarised light with well formed banding & striating set in a matrix of darker Silvazene with a spectacular orange Particeptite crystal in the middle
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- @CeriMAy81: My vital forms of #selfcare throughout turbulent lockdwn.Daily exercise spent visiting my reset sanctuary,Brechfa Forest, up the road.Also up rd is our 1st time allotment.Frm sowing v seeds 2 further utilising companion plants 2 add 2 herbal skincare
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- A cross-section of Curansuinite sediment shown in polarised light with banding and crystal growth of an unusual carmen liquescimite crystal set in a matrix of Silvazene with Particeptite
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- A cross-section of a subsidium meta-sediment #PreCovidian in age shown in polarised light with banding & linear Crystal growth set in a matrix of fine grained vitaezine
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- @dyslxicRant: my lunch
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- A cross-section of Prandiumite shown in polarised light with nice ornamental relic fractures often found in other metamorphic rocks containing solanacium
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- @dyslxicRant: my lunch
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- Another cross-section of a different Prandiumite shown in polarised light with similar ornamental relic fractures often found in other metamorphic rocks but set in a matrix of ovumite
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- A cross-section of fistulite shown in polarised light with multiple relic banded fractures often found in other metamorphic rocks set in a matrix of mergerite
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- @dyslxicRant: here’s the washer to fix the leak in sink #lockdown
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- A cross-section of prehendarumite shown in polarised light with nice ornamental banding and needle like asicular crystals of Obstringarite growing inside
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- @dyslxicRant: some more
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- A cross-section of a Magisite agglomerate shown in polarised light with refreshing banding and large red crystals of putredonite set in a matrix of purple pusilizene
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- @JoPavlopoulou
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- A cross-section of litoralite shown in reflected light showing ornamental structures liniations & fractures often found in the company of other crystals of Sorozite
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- @BenPark65051150: am I too late to join in?
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- A cross-section of a fenestra type sediment which has been metamorphosised shown in polarised light with obvious stress fractures often found in other metamorphic rocks that have undergone stress and brecciation
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- @BenPark65051150: am I too late to join in?
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- A cross-section of Furnusite shown in polarised light with nice ornamental relic fractures and dissolved crystals often found in other metamorphic rocks containing fructozene
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- Jon’s Breakfast
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- A cross-section of Canalisite shown in polarised light showing #PostCovidian fractures all set in a matrix of carmenavisite & Scribenzine
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- derived #PreCovidian fossils of the species Sanitataem mentisii set in a aggregated metasediment showing relic tension structures and #Postcovidian fracturing
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- Jon’s Breakfast
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- A derived #PreCovidian fossil of the species Sanitataem adamsii set in metasediment showing relic tension structures and much #Postcovidian fracturing & alteration – polarised light X-section 2/2
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- A derived #PreCovidian fossil of the species Sanitataem adamsii set in metasediment showing relic tension structures and much #Postcovidian fracturing & alteration – reflected light X-section 1/2
Love these transformations. Proud to have been involved.
Interesting seeing my pic (the transformed one) again.
It really helps me to see it alongside the original.
I get a better idea of the #metaordinary from this.
Ta. Its great.
Couldn’t wok out which image was yours Rich?
what a fabulous project transforming everyday sediments, personal archeology meets geology. Pressure over time makes diamonds.