taking down

The exhibition at The Bowery in Leeds finished a couple of weeks ago.  I recorded the process of removing the installation from the gallery space (something I wish I'd done when putting it up).  The resulting film isn't great quality but it gives an idea of how the piece surrounded you in the room and how it came off the wall in sections.  The first half is made up of shots taken around the room and then they follow it's removal.

Spurn news

Do keep an eye on the new Spurn Artists in Residence blog for news of up-coming events in the lighthouse.  The next one is in a weeks time when there is an exhibition by the Hull University Social Sciences dept.  This is an opportunity to see inside the lighthouse as well as learn about the work of the department.  There is also a lovely film on there about embracing change in coastal landscapes and creative projects related to it.

textures of spurn

You can now see on Youtube the film that Phil Legard made for me using my images and diary extracts.  This film was projected on the first floor of the lighthouse and it now has sound added; sounds that Nigel Morgan recorded at Spurn and in the lighthouse.  This film will be shown at the various galleries on the tour and helps set the scene for the rest of the work.  The sound element helps to imagine what it is like in the lighthouse, transporting you from the gallery to the place that the work has come from.

(Image by Phil Ratcliffe)

autumnal tint

I arrived on Spurn yesterday and have the next few days to prepare for the exhibition.  It's amazing how quickly things change.  When I was last here, only three weeks ago, there was a hint of autumn in the colours of vegetation.  This week it feels decidedly autumnal.  There are wonderful bright berries on the sea buckthorn as well as on hawthorn and lovely hips on the various roses.  An evening walk was full of warm light on the grasses and seed heads along the estuary and clear views coupled with a spectacular sunset.

There are particularly high tides early this week and therefore there is the threat of a wash-over on the road.  So far the weather looks to be such that this may not happen as the wind, although strong, is south westerly.  There are lots of white horses on the Humber but the sea level isn't affected enough to wash right over, at least it didn't yesterday.

I had a session with a photographer yesterday for a press article and then some time with Gavin, a film maker who will be the next artist in residence at Spurn. He is making a film about the different people that come to Spurn.  It's lovely to have a little involvement in the next project to happen here.

This morning I had the task of cleaning the lighthouse.  I started at the top and swept all the way to the bottom, six floors in all (I keep meaning to count those steps - there are a lot!).  It was a dirty job and I needed a good shower afterwards.  It isn't exactly clean and I probably raised as much dust as I collected but at least all the loose stuff that accumulates has been cleared up.  I can start setting things up tomorrow, once the dust has settled.