Reveal - Scratching The Surface

In conjunction with a six month Fellowship hosted by the Forest of Dean and funded by the University of Gloucestershire, I was invited to create temporary site specific installations for a three day event called REVEAL. From the research undertaken in the forest I constructed two installations. The first was entitled 'Light Shafts' a sound installation with steel, light and smoke. The second was entitled 'Bell Pits' a video projection onto an ancient water filled Bell Pit. These works evolved from an interest in the working heritage of the forest; mining for iron ore and ferric oxide pigments. Ancient bell pits and scowles are the visible scars of this human activity. These minerals represent a tactile and hidden geological stratum; their colour evident in the soil, streams, leaves, bark and lichen on autumn and winter trees. The artwork's intention was to reveal and encourage contemplation of these intimate relationships.