Catherine Yass embarked on a cycling adventure one day and stumbled upon a remarkable find. She had strayed far from the usual path and found herself on a little-known nature trail in Barking. After passing the infamous “most isolated pub in London,” she continued along an industrial road and eventually reached a deserted grassy area where she suddenly felt nauseous. This unpleasant odor was a result of its proximity to the Beckton sewage works. Nevertheless, her journey was not in vain because before her stood the Barking Creek Barrier, a massive concrete structure built in 1983 to prevent flooding in east London. This structure became the focal point of her new project, representing collective guilt towards the climate crisis and potential floodings.
Flood Barrier is a film commissioned by Create London to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the devastating North Sea flood of 1953, which destroyed Creekmouth, the village that once occupied the area. Yass was particularly interested in observing the barrier from various perspectives, especially that of the local bird population when the barrier is lowered. Birds have the unique ability to pass through the arch, unlike the river. Yass wondered how it might appear to someone unaware of its purpose, viewing it from angles humans never could.
Considering how others experience the world has always intrigued Yass, and this fascination extends to environmental concerns. She recalls a life-drawing class in which the teacher advised her to examine her drawings upside down or in a mirror to gain a fresh perspective. This practice influenced her unconventional way of viewing the world. In 1986, a friend gave her a 1950s camera with an upside-down viewfinder, and she has since grown accustomed to seeing the world from this topsy-turvy angle.
Initially hesitant about using photography as a medium due to its mainstream perspectives, Yass began “solarising” her pictures by overlaying negatives with positives. In Flood Barrier, light leaks add unusual colors to the film, a nod to birds’ ability to perceive a wider spectrum of colors than humans.
Yass’s penchant for unsettling and vulnerable perspectives is evident in her works. In 2002, she was nominated for the Turner Prize for her video Descent, which captured the experience of descending down the side of a skyscraper in Canary Wharf. Her films can evoke a visceral response, such as the stomach-churning sensation induced by her 2008 work High Wire. This piece documents Didier Pasquette’s daring wire traverse between tower blocks in Glasgow’s Red Road flats, which have since been demolished.
Yass recounts the nerve-wracking experience of filming High Wire, admitting that she would not repeat it. Pasquette insisted on performing without safety gear, causing great concern for the crew. Despite their efforts to find a solution, Pasquette embarked on the wire without any safety measures. The fear was palpable. Although he only made it a third of the way, Pasquette’s endeavor symbolized an unattainable dream. Yass believes that the idealism of constructing high-rise buildings and cities in the air was ultimately utopian.
Yass’s anxiety over Pasquette’s safety led her to conceive another project involving high-rise buildings. She planned to drop a piano from the top of Balfron Tower in London to capture the sounds it would create during its descent and make a statement about the housing crisis. However, the project encountered controversy due to ongoing conflicts between the housing association and local residents. Yass inadvertently became entangled in the situation, and the project was ultimately abandoned.
Despite this setback, Yass successfully recorded the sound of wind playing the piano’s strings for her 2017 film Aeolian Piano. She attached the instrument to a crane and let it swing within the former BBC headquarters at White City, serving as a fond farewell to the building before its relocation.
Currently, Yass is meticulously fine-tuning the soundtrack for Flood Barrier with the assistance of local individuals, including sound artist Martin Osman and students with special educational needs. She aims to include voices and experiences often overlooked, incorporating the sounds of gusts of wind, underwater recordings, and the gurgling of a waste pipe into the soundtrack.
This project has prompted Yass to reflect on her artistic career. Upon reviewing her past works, she recognized a recurring theme of concrete. In 2004, she filmed the Israeli separation wall, followed by the Three Gorges Dam on China’s Yangtze River for her 2006 film Lock. Yass ponders humanity’s desperation to control nature through concrete, despite its detrimental environmental impact. The more we seek to fortify ourselves, the larger these structures become. But will it ever be enough?
Flood Barrier will be showcased at Valence House Museum in London from September 26 to October 21, with a free outdoor premiere on September 22 before embarking on a tour.
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