Stone
This is really a continuation from Traces of Making. The ceramic objects initially made by myself and a selection of friends helping me along this line of experimentation where each object has been made from a simple instruction of one word.
By giving these unmarked balls of clay to other people to interpret, when they return I am able to examine the subtle differences or similarities without making assumptions based on my own knowledge of the material. However, these have been sitting in a crate waiting for the right opportunity to move this research and develop a new collection of work.
So! I've gathered all the found objects that have also been slowly accumulating in the studio over time and looking at how or whether these made objects have any relationship with the found objects.
Most of the brick remnants have been given to me by two friends in Oxford often finding their way into my possession from the Norfolk coast.
It occurred to me that I have a growing selection of materials sitting around and most of them have come from the ground in some way. Chalk is the most recent addition to this I have a bag of coal, slate, brick and my increasing fascination with geology ultimately means that they all have this connection.
Over the next few weeks I intend to continue with the photography and add to these assembled compositions to see where it takes me.
Last week on our back back to London from Herefordshire we stopped off in Winchester to make a quick trip to the Cathedral. Sitting in the centre of greenery you walk under an avenue of trees to be confronted with the splendour of this enormous gothic building. Built between 11th and the 16th century much is unchanged today.
Medieval floor tiles from the 13th century said to be the largest collection of tiles from this period in England. It is within these smaller details shown in the last few images that really makes me think about all the people that have passed through this space. The thousands of footsteps that have made their way across the floor and it still stands the test of time.
There were several reasons I wanted to take a look inside one was the see the Antony Gormley Sculpture Sound II 1986 positioned in one of the oldest parts of the Cathedral the crypt.
One lone figure stands with cupped hands in a cavernous space filled with atmosphere after long periods of rain the crypt floods and this lead sculpture human in scale is opened up to the elements continuously changing and dependant up on the weather conditions.
The day we visited it was dry but there were still traces and marks on the floor where the previous flooding had been.
The second reason was to see the Burne Jones stained glass windows in the Epiphany Chapel. Created at William Morris' workshops in 1910 the four stained glass windows sit in the tiny chapel depicting the life of the Virgin Mary. Reminiscent of the period each central image is encased with highly detailed and exquisitely crafted flora and foliage.
The final reason was I had a proposal to write!
