Abby Colwell
Apple Interface
Yew, holly, ash, sapele, hazel
Apple Interface is a series of wood-turned apples digitally assembled into an animated face. This work invites audiences to type freely behind a constructed image, with their words spoken through the face. It explores how narratives are shaped through media and how identity is performed, curated and concealed within digital spaces.
Participants can contribute words and thoughts that become part of an evolving collective narrative. Because there is only a limited number of submissions visible at any one time, each encounter with the work is unique, reflecting the fragmented and transient nature of contemporary media consumption. Through anonymity and collective participation, the work also creates space for voices that might otherwise remain unheard or censored.
The apples are turned from wood, a slow and labour-intensive process that contrasts with the speed and immediacy of digital communication. This material carries associations with growth, time and transformation, while the apple itself is often linked to knowledge, temptation and the divine feminine. These layered associations position the apple as a symbol through which to explore identity, power and the construction of social narratives.
