Artist Antony Hall discusses owl poaching and other collaborations

So the Owl Project isn't a solo activity?
No, I work with Simon Blackmore. Basically the show came from a World War II training manual that we found for army cadets.

Topical.
Well we made this two years ago but it became slightly poignant in this time. So we thought we'd remake it.

Remake?
'Cause all our work had been stolen from our studio in Salford - which is quite funny.

Peculiar and ha-ha?
Well yeah, I don't know why anyone would want it. It's not what a thief would want generally [ruminative pause]. So we made these photos. We went around the countryside and recreated shots from the manual exactly except using us. We tried to get the same facial expressions. They'd be wearing their army gear, and we just wore this ridiculous costume.

Mmm. Looks a bit 'Lady loves milk tray' chic '
[laughs] Yeah. It's actually like what owl poachers wear. We've replaced the word 'enemy' with 'owl' in the text and just subtly changed it all really 'cause that's what we do: we subtly change things to make quite big changes. It's actually about survival as an artist. And the way that you're kind of out there hunting for ideas or looking for your next break. And you kind of have to work outside the normal system to find your own network to get into - and we were thinking about all that.

So what about ye olde metaphor of artist-as-mad genius?
[Serious, considered face] I hate this idea 'cause I always get tagged as a mad inventor. I'm quite serious about my research. I like science. I investigate science. I research ideas. I'm actually artist-in-residence at UMIST and a member of the research staff, temporarily. I'm continuing my MA research really: into science philosophy; seeing how illusion has evolved closely with the experimental method. I mean, before scientists existed you had the alchemists - they were like magicians, but they had 'to prove' it was something real.

Crikey, don't let's get into ye olde artist-as-alchemist metaphor.
Yeah. I don't like labels ' apart from owl.

The Owl Project: Learn to See Without Being Seen, Bassoon Club in Tmesis Gallery until Wednesday, March 12.