Tuesday 22 November 2011

A Stirling Moss Job

Cornwall 

Art and Context Trip


Well thought is was about time i put up something about the now legendary trip. 


What is the point?


Well for me it was a chance to really think about 'space' and how i use it as a designer and whether or not i really understand the consequences of an intervention, and experiment if you like. what happens if....


My studio


Rather than going into the in's and out's of the trip. The drinking, screaming in the forest and general getting back to the core of it all, ( and that was just Joey!!!).
The space, Joey and I just wandered off talking the usual crap and came upon this magical spot. Facing the right direction, with just right amount of shade and dampness to create a field of Moss beneath the Douglas firs. In fairness I probably ruined the space, but the space was a false creation anyway due to the forestry planting. A steep bank and hard accessibility also added to the drama. 


So with my simple tools, I attacked! The first (not shown) piece was to contrived, so the second (v in the ground) I just did it, not trying to be contextual, or adding any story, just shape, balance and contrasting colour. Tom and Jim seemed to like it and suggested I do a 3D piece.


Next day, rain, but up on site soon after dawn. A flask of hot water (for black Chai) and biscuits so a happy man.
Saw this decaying stump and just got stuck in, again just intuitively cutting and pasting so to speak. A mixture of additive and subtractive sculpture, only really thinking about the composition. A lot of teeth sucking. Worked like a dog ( no change there), once finished, decided lift the piece by adding more moss for contrast. Then ended clearing all the wood around the various pieces so as not to distract.


Just finished and Jim turned up (one of the lecturers) scrambling up the bank. Had a really good long talk. Pointing out some obvious points which were nagging in the back of my mind. Changed a couple of bits. And if i had time i would of extended one of the pieces.


Learnt?


Well ended up with more questions than answers, which is great as that means that previous views have been challenged, and thus need re-evaluating. So now working on this, learnt more doing this that building a hundred gardens.


Trusty tools, including bare hands




Flat Canvas




Looking up, pre Jim suggestion which simplified the piece


Simplified, framed in extra moss, what does it say? You tell me!


Dug in to expose the roots as to exaggerate the intervention



Just like these Pictures, Goodbye Moss, Goodbye Cornwall






The best unit of the whole 5 years