Ceremonial Happenings
On-going work with New Caledonian Woodlands adult group in Edinburgh. I had brought an 8 metre long interface fabric and wax pastels for the group to design rubbings of the natural environment and found objects. As the group held on to the fabric there was a natural movement which made their traces visible and highlighted the structure of trees. One thing I had not envisaged was how the group built up ownership of the fabric. It was their spontaneous idea to launch it down the river after weaving it in and out of the trees. Everyone was wearing wellington boots which gave them the freedom to ‘play’ in the river. As the fabric started to drift away one member went after it. They spoke about drying it out and keeping it as a memory of the experiential event. This was a fantastic day and I was really pleased that they wanted to keep something from the environmental art experience. What happened made me realise that my role as artist lends its self to something spiritual. Not in a naff ‘art is spiritual’ way but more in terms of human potential, fun and going back to your youth.
“that was very ceremonial”
“it takes me back”
