Llosgi Gwynt (Burning Wind)

Part Two | Week Two

Now 11 days into my residency here at Aberyswyth Arts Centre. Really going well, today it is beautiful sunshine.

Last night (Thurs 14th) was my talk, despite having a huge amount of images and videos I managed to get through it all, answered a few questions, and the feedback I’m getting is positive.

During the weekend (9th/10th) we welcome poet Rhian Edwards into the flat, who will be doing a writers residency in parralell to mine and Eeva’s. Will be really interesting to see how her work will evolve over the coming three months.

Monday (11th), continued further layering with the wind turbine work, and also return to some of the original footage to create a more simpler piece.

Tuesday (12th), on this day I decided to return to the wind fatm and try recording the sounds of the turbines. Kind of mixed, it was good to see what my equipment could pick upt. The difficulty whilst I was up there was the wind intesity was so strong it dominated the sound recording. Hopefully I will be able to eeck out the real sound of the turbines.

Wednesday and the Thursday was mainly concentrating on the talk, so the progression of my visual work was put on temporary hold.

Today (Fri 15th), listening to the sound I recorded on Tuesday. With the 31 band equaliser on FCE (the software I use for editing) I’m able to isolate some of the whirling mechanicle sounds produce by the turbines, seems to be dwelling in the middle frequencies. Feel that next time I attempt to record the sound using my standard mic I will need to do it on a less windy day. It would’ve been best doing the sound recording on my first visit and the filming on this one.

Extra note

Also last night I went to the ‘Facade’ performance, a unique experience, one I will never forget, restaurant dining meets circus acrobatics.

The seven days of the Wales One World film festival starts to night, I have booked to see five of the films, my first is tonight – Wadjda, a film from Saudi Arabia.

Intro

I received notification for this residency way back in early 2011, after seeing an advert for on Axis. So for me it has been along time coming. Really great to be here, in the country that flows through my maternal family tree. My Welsh family connection fuelled my desire to apply for the residency. Also I viewed the residency as a chance to continue my own professional development and allow time/space to advance my research into the digital video medium.

First impressions of Aberstwyth and the Arts Centre is very good. Amazing buildings and excellent facilities. The studios designed by Thomas Heatherwick (2009) are top, everything you would want in a studio. A real sense of vibrancy running through the Arts Centre, and the University as a whole. Huge amount to see and do.

The residency is well funded not only do you receive a studio, but also accommodation (shared flat with the other artists in residence), and £500p/m for food/materials.

Work

My great grandfather (Morgan Shearman) worked down one of the Southern Welsh coal mines. A nasty, dark, cramped, dangerous, back breaking job one which only a handful now really experience. The mining industry played a huge part in shaping Wales and Britain industrial heritage. A profession which is in the very soul of the Welsh landscape, and people. For this reason my work will explore the texture and feel of the three main mining resources in Wales; coal, slate and lead.

The dark matter will be juxtaposed with it’s alternate opposite. On viewing the ordinance survey map for the first time my eye was immediately drawn to a wind farm not too far NE of Aberystwyth. I’ve always found wind farms to be beautiful poetic forests. Always wanted to do work based on wind farms, they have this unerring tranquility to them. The idea soon formed of doing work which explores polar opposite colour and textures. White wind farms against the black, dense, smoke landscape of coal. A straight up ying-yang contrast.

Part One | Week One

Officially started on Monday 4th though most of this day was filled with moving everything in.

On the Tuesday 5th, I took my camera and hiked the 300m up to the wind farm, after parking up in Plas Gogerddan. After a freezing start it soon turned into a very hot day, not a cloud in the sky. Surrounded by Red Kites and sheep I set about filming the huge wind mills. Mynydd Gorddu wind farm is vast, ideally I would have wanted a slightly overcast day, but I know how precious sunny days are in Wales. Filming went well, managed to get 60mins of filming before battery ran out. Continued my hike, eventually doing 11.5miles up and down hills.

Wednesday 6th this day was in the studio, working with the footage, building up layers. Through layering, and repeating, I slowly build up texture. During the filming I recorded several 1-10mins individual pieces of footage, all of these I have sliced and layered on top of each other. This is then compressed creating a new piece for layering, the process which I try to keep organic is repeated throughout.

Extra note

Also doing some drawing/painting work, to allow me to understand composition and allow other thoughts on texture to form.

On the journey to Aber I stopped off at the mining town of Blaenavon to visit the Big Pit, good experience but sadly didn’t have time to venture down in to the Pit, but will do over the course of my stay.

When hiking up to the wind farm I came across an old abandoned slate mine, it looked quite sad, my own mind dwelt on former hardships, and loss. To go with the dark, heavy textures I want to convey in the piece I also wouldn’t want to ignore the melancholic undertones of workers losing jobs and colleagues.