As Small As Eyes

Three artists created a publication for their ‘tentacular’ exhibition at Bloc Projects, Sheffield. I edited and provided feedback on their experimental texts, each inspired by the octopus.

‘As Small As Eyes’ is a long-term project by artists Mariette Moore, Krystle Patel and Orsola Zane, in which they use the octopus as a starting point for works and provocations. In early 2024, to accompany their show at Bloc Projects, they printed a zine containing three experimental texts. These engage with tentacular ideas through different forms, from a ‘scientific paper’ that dissolves into ecstasy to a short story from the viewpoint of a finger.

 

The artists asked me to review their texts, because alongside my experience in developing artists’ writing, I had also been researching and writing on the octopus for years. This meant that I was able to sense-check references to the animal’s biology, alongside providing detailed editorial notes on feel, structure, flow, and syntax.