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Amanda Dunsmore
Mr. and Mrs. Krab's Utopia
This audio/visual art work, created for Rural Vernacular, is an intimate, honest and often humorous meditation on contemporary rural life in Ireland from a ‘outsiders’ point of view. The participants were asked 'Why did they relocate to start a new life, in Ireland. Were they looking for a kind of Utopia?'. The resulting conversations touched on many rural issues such as the weather, family, time, roads, drugs, cars, wealth, houses and the future.
The research for this commission was conducted through a series of interviews with non nationals living in rural Ireland. I was looking for a outside and informed option on social issues found in contemporary rural County Clare. Eventually I decided to present an edited version of one these talks, with a Dutch couple. With this text I combined a random selection of one minuet video studies, loosely recreating the visual details noticed when engaged in a conversation.
Finally being conscious of the dispersed, non gallery based, mobile, rural audience. I looked for a way to present the material, I choose to use the media route of radio and pod casts.
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Extract from "Mr. & Mrs. Krab’s Utopia" Introduction
Mrs. Krab ...he was depressed and he was afraid to drive the car. And then for six years we were not on holiday and that not the important things in life holiday but, then I said that we go to Ireland. I drive he’s afraid to fly, he’s still afraid to fly
Mr.Krab Still I never go to Holland.
Mrs. Krab He’s a big guy, but he’s afraid to fly. But anyway the first time when we arrived in Ireland. I was working before we go on holiday in the discotheque, so I go to bed four o’clock. He was not working there any more. And early in the morning we drove to the boat, and I was so tired. Because he was afraid to drive. and then he came in Ireland and he said ‘Oh I drive. You know the roads no cars.
Mr.Krab Not so crowded you know. No not over filled the roads.
Mrs. Krab And then you can’t believe it or you can’t believe it, in one minuet he was the old Albert again. he was nice to the kids. You know it’s not that I will hurt him. That’s six years.
Mr.Krab You cannot do that anymore.
Mrs.Krab You know he was not able to handle that kids.
Mr.Krab I was shored off you know.
Mrs. Krab And on that holiday he was laughing again and playing with the ball. And he was so relaxed. And Ireland makes you relaxed. It’s not...
Mr.Krab It’s something here that fell on you. And when you drive through this landscape, the rest...
Mrs.Krab And now we here it from so many people who are on holiday. Dutch people who come her they said ‘We are so relaxed’.
Mr.Krab Ya and you can see that people seek rest.
Mr.Krab With the tradition of Ireland you can build in a style that fit with the landscape.
Mr.Krab Ya but even when you go in the houses they so big but the rooms are still small.
Mr.Krab Ya.
Mrs.Krab And there all chicken huts! The rooms it’s unbelievable, they use they space total wrong.
Mr.Krab You don’t see that in Holland. We like big windows. To let the sun in. Here you see massive houses with small little windows everywhere. And then I think..
Mrs.Krab All prisons!
Mr.Krab and loads of houses are not, when you come in there you know it’s not economic, you know the rooms are with big corridors useless space all that kind of things and that’s what I see a lot here in Ireland. But I don’t like - of course there are nice houses - what they build in the last couple of years I don’t like it at all it has nothing todo with Ireland any more. And everyone can build what he want. Also with the planning permission sometimes I can not follow the, because there are people here around farmers they want to build a little house. Or a house for their son daughter or what ever on their own land and they don’t get permission and strangers from everywhere get permission and build the ugliest concrete square things and I hope that they stop that.