© Spearing
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spearing.org.uk
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Barnwell Country Park
Northamptonshire - August 2008
The very last thing you might expect to come across in a Northamptonshire country
park is a trio of hoodied half torso's grouped together in mid air as if discussing
the football results late on a Saturday afternoon. But there they were, suspended
in mid air and gently rotating in the breeze, not a word passing between them. Guess
their team hadn't performed quite as hoped.
Officially called Gathering - Clare Abbatt 2008 the hoodies could have been
discussing Break Dance choreography for the forthcoming Town Festival or eyeing
up the passers by for the easiest pocket pick, but no, they were gently swinging
in the breeze.
Wandering on we came across...
2Screens Yellow - 2008 which might have had the alternative title of 'Interference'
to describe the effect rather than the object.
Peter Berry was making some final Health & Safety adjustments as we approached
and asked what we thought of the work. I had not decided nor had the time
to formulate some positive thoughts on what was possibly a little to macro for the
surroundings. Sue however, feeling a little off colour with 'foot in mouth
disease' waded right in.........
The blue hands, with an official title of Winter Leaves were particularly
hard to photograph, produced in clear casting resin by Taz Lovejoy. With
the sun in the perfect position, shining through the trees, the overall effect was
quite beautiful and in keeping with their lakeside environment. So the choice
was, zoom in on one or two hands, or back off and lose definition. I decided
less was more.....
....but then just when you think that Art is the most beautiful side of human culture
you round a corner and Nature reminds you that things are never quite that simple.
Especially life.
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Mill Lake by Nature
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I'm fully grown now, I have been for quite some time, so it can be a bit novel when
something you come across takes you back to a land of fairies, small animals and
childhood.
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Bird Houses, in bread, flour and water by Marian Crabtree
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Husk by Andrew Flint
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Noah woodcut blocks by Victor Jimenez i Nunez. A fish near a
lake and a rabbit in the undergrowth, just whether these woodcuts were specially
made for this exhibition I guess I will never know.
The untitled work, however, is if nothing a sad piece, maybe 'the outcast' is appropriate.
Of course, if your cup is half full it might have been titled 'I'm special'.
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Untitled 1- in wood, fabric, thread, lace, button & screw by Amy Galloway
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A Sore Thumb? ..... or part of nature itself?
To change presentation styles I have included some exhibits where I would ask the
viewer to decide if the items stick out like a sore thumb or appear to blend into
the very surroundings themselves.
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In a quiet little corner, where the trees meet the lake, mild steel would not be
the natural choice unless you were Angie Snelling with an exhibit titled
Gramineae Mettalica.
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Willow however could not possibly be out of place so where would you place Willow
Spheres by Rachael Carter?
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The Natural long of it and the Natural short of it.....
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Two items, both by Wendy Henley fit into their surroundings perfectly, to
the left is Cocoon and above is Typha (Bullrush)
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The need to move on...................
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A scanned image of the exhibiting artists and a map of the park by Unknown
to finish off the page. Not one of my best efforts, I have run out of enthusiasm,
due mainly to the large number of excellent exhibits that still need processing,
the photo's need cropping and arranging together with some text that tries to do
them justice.
My apologies to all of those exhibitors that I have left out but...........
Unfinished - A weight off my shoulders by Tony Spearing
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