I feel happy to be back in the woods and creating work. I feel the work is developing a connective thread and a direction. Reflecting my interest in making site responsive work, I’ve started making “forest letters”. It came out of the whole logging experience, I needed to voice my thoughts, and observations. The letters are paper scrolls that are visual or written resposes to being in the place at that moment. The scrolls are then rolled into bark cases, which are all over the forest since the logging took place. these are left in the woods for people to come across in the nature of a message in a bottle, or chance encounter. I like this way of presenting the work, although over time they are nibbled and weathered. College is taking a back seat at the moment with no lectures etc. this is a good thing, as I am able to get down to some work. There is a window before the kids Summer holidays start. We have an evaluation point soon, which does wonders for motivation!
Just spent a few days with fellow MA students at Appledore Festival. Our contribution was a fire and fury ritual, where the public was asked to deposit their anger on our anger posts, followed by a ritual burning of said anger on the beach with a bowl of Chilli thrown in! An interesting learning experience. I was surprised at how many people turned up at the Far Beach the next day (yes it was far from the town and hard to find) and felt a commitment to completing the clensing process. The tides were even working in our favour, coming in later on to put out the flames.
They are logging the forest! My first thoughts were, oh no that wrecks my project then. But after meeting Dave from the Forestry commission and Nick one of the logging contractors. I hope to use their knowledge in the artwork I do. People and their management of the trees are an integral part of the forest. Still hard to see it changed though. Funny studying something that is always transforming and shifting, never fixed. I like working outside in the environment rather than being in a studio too much, there is always change and interaction.
Went to an interesting talk by an Isreali artist at the Centre for Contemporary Art in the Natural world at Haldon Forest. The artist is Shai Zakai, she's into initiating dialogues about ecological issues. I hope to take part in her show there in October which will consist of black shoeboxes filled with natural material to create her forest tunes library, showing damaged nature or nature with a personal story. I have to fill my box in some way, maybe I'll fill it with shadows! I like having a project that is easily achievable (maybe). My life is so full at the moment with kids and life organisation that filling a shoebox is a nice easy thing to fit in, just need to find a box…….
I am juggling children this week as it is the Easter school holidays. I did manage to get to the forest though, which was great. I try to get there at least once a week for a day or I feel I am loosing touch with the real subject of my work.
I went with my 2 children Coral(8) and Stefan(11) and a friend Christine. When we arrived I was reminded not all my trips to the forest are a pleasant experience and nature contains fear aswell as beauty. There was a notice on the gate about "10 horrific deaths" of sheep by uncontrolled dogs. This made us all uneasy, but is as much a part of the experience as the unfurling leaves we saw on the beach trees and the lizard in the sun.
I made sound recordings in 5 spots in the forest with different atmospheres. This time there is talking in with the forest sounds.
