Enlighten
A series of four seasonal interventions were installed in a derelict shooting hut on the Northumbrian moors to mark the Autumn equinox 2021. Since 2016 this hut has been a constant source of inspiration and sadly in late November Storm Arwen caused the structure of the hut to be irreparably destroyed.
Enlighten consists of hand-made kozo washi paper dyed with Persimmon juice, the colour deepening over time with exposure to the sun over the Summer Solsticel. The North and South facing windows of the hut were lined with hand-made washi blinds to diffuse the light, in homage to the Korean bojagi technique. Silk cyanotype panels, patch-worked together in 2017 from the silk of my ‘Awake’ Spring equinox sleeping performance lay on the raked ground of the hut. The Last Light, 80 hand-made washi cyanotypes capturing the light of the winter solstice in 2016 hung in a grid on the east facing wall, dancing in the breeze. The sound scape ‘To take a photograph’ produced in collaboration with Magic Arm (Marc Riglesford) echoed on a ten minute loop within the installation, audible from quarter of a mile surrounding the hut.
Enlighten was shown as part of ENTWINED Rural Land Lives Art exhibition at Highgreen in September, featuring the work of nine artists, who over two years made artwork around the theme of nature and culture, and explored what makes ‘place’. Some artists spent one month in residence with local hosts (Unison Colour, Tarset Village Hall, Bellingham Heritage Centre and Kielderhead Wildwood Project) and others spent up to 10 months at Highgreen. www.varc.org.uk