‘The common mortal, that manufacture of Nature which she produces by the thousand every day, is, as we have said, not capable, at least not continuously so, of observation that in every sense is wholly disinterested, as sensuous contemplation, strictly so called, is. He can turn his attention to things only so far as they have some relation to his will, however indirect it may be. Since in this respect, which never demands anything but the knowledge of relations, the abstract conception of the thing is sufficient, and for the most part even better adapted for use, the ordinary man does not linger long over the mere perception, does not fix his attention long on one object, but in all that is presented to him hastily seeks merely the concept under which it is to be brought, as the lazy man seeks a chair, and then it interests him no further. . . .’

Schopenhauer, Arthur. 1844. The World as Will and Idea. 1928 ed. Translated by R.G Haldane and J. Kemp.

‘lefty loosey righty tighty’ consists of a sequence of photographs taken by the artist at no.5 Barway Rd. The artist creates for herself a situation in which she can be resigned to passing the time of day. Knowing she will be unable to work the lock to no.5, she arrives at the house when nobody is there. The artist turns to her surroundings and possessions to inform and occupy her time. The photographs trace movements, and reflect a series of thoughts underpinned by a paragraph read in a book during this process. This piece looks at the alternation between the concept for a work, and the reality of the thought produced by the working process. The work itself is the product of a desire-less activity, which lasts as long as the daylight is good, and then finishes. When no.5 is full of its occupants once more, the artist returns home.

Maeve Rendle lives and works in Manchester, she graduated from her MA at the Manchester Metropolitan University in 2005. She has exhibited in London, Nottingham, Helsinki and most recently in Manchester with her solo show ‘Mount Purgatory’, at Apartment. She will be exhibiting in a group show with Apartment at the Axel Lapp Project space, Berlin, opening on June 1st.