The Cave

Luke W Robson

The Cave presents three separate, but intrinsically-linked landscapes of an impossible, apocalyptically sublime world. Here, the illusion of control is placed upon the viewer as they navigate around these digital panoramas. However, the window into this world is limited and provides no clearer narrative answers than the flickering shadows on the wall of Plato’s Cave. The landscapes are deliberately ambiguous and yet unmistakably familiar as Earth. The machinery and structures hint at a planet from which the life-giving qualities have become entirely depleted. Moreover, the single-position 360° view is suggestive of a Exploration Rover, similar to those currently exploring and documenting Mars. On the other hand, the instillation evokes an interactive diorama in a future museum, illustrating the fate of our planet.

Luke is a multidisciplinary artist, designer and filmmaker. His varied artistic practice often explores the didactic nature of utopia and dystopia and exists in the intersection between science fiction and science fact. Recent art projects include Electric Sheep (Channel4’s Random Acts) and The Cave (Queens Hall Digital Commission). In 2017 Luke graduated with a First Class BA Honours in Fine Art from Newcastle University and previously completed the prestigious BFI Talent Campus at the National Film & Television School. Theatre and opera designs include Unspoken (Newcastle Theatre Royal) and The Terminal Velocity of Snowflakes, Live Lab Elevator (Live Theatre), Madam Butterfly (King’s Head Theatre), FANS (Touring Production), Odd Shaped Balls (Old Red Lion - Off West End Theatre Award nominated), The Nether, Journey’s End, The Pillowman (Northern Stage).

Luke is the current Trainee Designer at the Royal Shakespeare Company.