Originally uploaded by dog walker2008
I know that this just looks like a pile of stones but in my eyes its more than that!
Before Christmas the Husband started a project on his favourite walk. He didn’t tell me about it at first – I was introduced to it in the new year as it took him a while to get it going – a ring of flints marked the start of what is slowly evolving into a kind of work of art. I suspect that Andy Goldsworthy was his inspiration as both he and I love his work. While the flints were only one or two rows high, people seemed to kick them about. Then as it took on another level, it appeared to be left alone – in fact other walkers started adding to it.
I could be really pretentious by saying that as the Cairn had now become a piece of public art with contributions from an invisible group of walkers – a physical form of social networking! I wonder how many people have put a flint or two onto it… what are they like… what have they thought when they’ve seen it for the first time… do they come back to check up on progress? All these questions spring to mind.
Working on it consumes you as balancing each flint takes time – its easy just to pile them onto the outer walls but they need to be fully supported so that it forms a robust sculpture. Now its grown to quite a height, about 2 foot, taking on some permanentency as the weeds weave in and out of the bottom flints. But this has created a challenge – ideally its just an outer wall, curving inwards to an apex, but this needs patience and skill – and it was becoming apparent that the wall wouldn’t be strong enough to grow to its full height. So we’re cheating by filling in the middle to widen the walls and make them stronger. Part of me feels guilty for cheating and not doing it properly, but is it better to create a shape which everyone, however skilled, can contribute to, so it really becomes a piece of public art?
I’m looking forward to seeing the cairn evolve and watch what happens to it in the months ahead. And dare I ask if it will it be worthy of being inspired by Goldsworthy.
Just been by the Cairn over the Bank Holiday Weekend and had hoped to see that it had grown a lot higher, but it appears to have had very little added to it recently, so I spent some time with the dogs reinforcing the inner walls, adding about a rows worth in height, before doing our round Walderton walk.
By: Damian on May 6, 2008
at 12:36