My first day in Anglesey at Halen Mon has passed by in a blaze of glorious sunshine. As an artist trying to utilise the outcomes of science within my work, my primary aim for today was to discover just how Halen Mon crystallises the local seawater to make their salt flakes. I’ve been crystallising salts in my studio and they’re incredible, but the crystal structure of Halen Mon salts are a in a class all of their own. Truly a thing of beauty.
I was first given an induction and shown the process of salt harvesting, beginning with the seawater filtered through mussel beds on the Menai Straights, through to the concentration of the brine, salt crystallisation, rinsing of the salt flakes, drying and packing. Who knew that so much goes in to producing salt! I’ve read somewhere that in the past salt was scarce and cost as much as gold, and seeing for myself the care that goes into producing salt crystals of this quality I can truly believe it.
What I’ve gathered is the pride that goes into harvesting this salt, and the extreme care that is taken to ensure each batch (and indeed each crystal) is perfect. I feel this theme will prove to be a vital part of the collaboration.
I also witnessed for myself the cloudy chalk that’s released when salt is rinsed. This is new to me, and explains what the white residue is that I’ve seen around the edges of pans after boiling vegetables in salted water. Calcium carbonate is naturally found in seawater; organisms such as plankton, algae and molluscs all contribute, but it’s considered an impurity in salt and so the more that’s removed, the better. I love the fact that a by-product of salt crystallisation is chalk, a substance that I already use within my work….. Is there a way of reuniting the salt and chalk, I wonder?
The remainder of the day was spent taking photos of the area and drawing. Once again the theme of beauty resurfaces; the scenery here is glorious! And the colours! I feel it’s perhaps more important to capture the colours rather than the overall forms; again I feel these may prove to be an important element within my work.
So after the first day I have lots of ideas and a brain full of stimuli, but everything is loose and unformed. Tonight will be spent thinking and assessing, and making a list for tomorrow. I hope too to have a good brainstorm with the directors David and Alison and start to steer things in some kind of a direction.
