Taking its title from Francis Bacon's 17th century utopian novel, in which he portrayed a shining vision of human discovery and knowledge, this work attempts to see where we've got to.

Today, location is not so much defined by geography, but by our position within the complex web of processes that make up contemporary society. My work attempts to capture such a situation, caught in a perpetual state of transit where increasing complexity is often presented as an illusion of progress. Frequently, my films are animations which are structured from photographs or downloaded images, blending these together to create a familiar yet alien environment. Poised between photography and film, they explore the space between the still and the moving image, both how we experience and constitute time.

Working with video inevitably raises questions about mediation in modern society and the seemingly endless pursuit of much digital animation and game technology towards ever more spectacular optical effects, the spectator held in thrall of the screen. In contrast, the use of a restricted viewpoint, repetition, and mundane subject matter in my work seem more likely to generate feelings of futility, frustration as well as humour which, in some cases, might give way to a deeper contemplation of the systems in which we live - no bad thing.

David Theobald is based in East Twickenham, UK.