It’s exciting how it changes

Workshop Outline

Stage 1. Inside

Led discussion by artist

Own research and ideas on Colinton Dell

Once an area of industry now a leafy sanctuary

Prosperity and neglect through time / human intervention & impact

Sketchbook – mills, wood flour images, glass shards

Provide enthusiasm on Colinton Dell

Look into artist practices – Robert Smithson, Joamim Romer, Drury,

Art history –

18^th century landscape paintings (shift towards more emotional),

Robert Smithson

Ideas of the sublime – feeling the landscape rather than seeing it

Encourage the group to develop their own interpretations

Stage 2. Outside

New Caledonian Woodlands & Artist locate site

Preparing the site

Drawing/mapping the site

Gathering natural materials

Tools

Allowing the group to be lost

Gentle guiding – starting point

Encouraging ideas

Collective vs. individual work

One circle

One idea – not inclusive

Encouraged other ideas

Sudden creative flow

Temporary earthwork – two circles intersecting and outlined by dead leaves

1^st circle highlighted the roots with green ivy leaves, stone infinity symbol

Human figure holding up 1^st circle (made by dusting artist with wood flour)

2^nd circle – empty/void, early foliage growth

Artist recording dialogue & documenting with camera

Stage 3. Responses to earthwork

“holding on to what we’ve lost”, “void is threatening it” (1^st circle being threatened by empty/void circle), “negative & positive”, “potential…distance is activity and possibilities”, “depends on what way you look at it”, “yin & yang”,  “lightness & dark…beautiful”, “the figure is dancing”, “figure is humorous”, “superman saving the world”, “could be from any time”, “all natural except figure….greenpeace activist”, “urban art/graffiti art”, “tipping point..space between = development” , “sub centre point”, “its exciting how it changes”