Rhod 2011 - Inspiration For My Future!

Last week, I went to West Wales for Rhod 2011 - an amazing exhibition featuring sculpture and site specific work in a forest in Drefelin at the New Mill. Dave had some work there, and it was great to see it all come together:

"Into The Wild" June 2011 - Dave Cushley



Isn't it amazing?! A four-poster bed in a forest! It looks comfy, but it ain't, believe me!!!! The sheets, pillows and curtains are all hand-stitched from old clothing, and it's such a striking and inviting piece. You want to sit on it, but you're not sure what will happen. There's something odd about discovering a bed in a forest - almost Goldilocks territory! He worked really hard on this, and I'm really proud of him =)

The other visual artist's work was equally awesome. There wasn't a single piece there that I didn't like. Ed Elliott had 5 beautiful yet haunting sculptures, almost all made from wood from the forest. The hooded figures are particularly creepy, yet I couldn't stop looking at them. They are fantastically tactile and we caught a few people copping a feel as they wandered about!


Ed Elliott's man with top hat 2011

 Teresa Wakeling had weaved beautiful wicker globe-type structures from hazel, and a big shout out has to go to her boyfriend George, too, who helped her around the clock to get them finished! They hang from a tree in the forest in varied sizes and look astounding in the wood. It'll be interesting to see how they change as the forest grows around them.


Theresa Wakeling's hazel weaving.

The final artist in the wood was Graham Dunning. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to photograph his piece, as dark rain clouds loomed every time I tried, and made the light rubbish - sorry Graham! But his work was great - he wired up 3 bird boxes made by a previous artist in the forest with mics, one of which has birds actually nesting in it (this one wasn't mic'd up so we didn't disturb the birds). You could then listen on headphones at a listening post powered by solar panels - genious! I had a listen when it was raining heavily on Sunday morning; it had a strange comforting feeling like the sound of raindrops on a window when you're wrapped up in the warm inside. Only you're outside, dripping wet. But somehow, you don't really care.

Anthony Shapland had his video piece in the upstairs section of the New Mill. It involved the public in the heart of Rhod, the building that is the gateway to this show. The two screens sit side by side, with subtle sounds. This work invites confusion from the viewer and allows us to question what we are really hearing.  On the left screen, we see grass and reeds in a pond at night, and believe that we hear a frog jumping into the pond. The right-hand screen reveals the truth - a ping-pong ball attached to a potato dropped into a bucket of water!

I don't really have anything to say about the rural artists (musicians) who were taking part in Rhod. Let's just leave it at that! But Jason Pinder worked really hard on his part, and curated a truly inspiring show.

Another good part of the week was hanging out with Dave Shepherd! Having not seen him since I left Uni, it was really great to spend time with a tutor again. Had a little chat about my work and plans for the future - all good.

And I need to give a big shout out to Sam for his fabulous steps!

Roger and Mari have such a beautiful space to work with, and the mill will be wonderful when it has come to the end of it's transition. Rhod is the perfect setting for the contrast of the urban/rural dialogue, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens in the future. Thank you Roger and Mari for the fab hospitality and allowing me to be part of something so inspiring =)

So after almost a week of camping in a field, surrounded by the most lovely people I have ever met, I have made some decisions about my life. I want to do my MA, after years of telling myself I wasn't good enough and that I couldn't afford it. Well, my confidence is a little better, and I will find a way to get some dollars together to do it. Being around so many creative people, and seeing so much amazing work, has ignited that spark that has been out for a long time.

I'm back, world, and I'm ready to live again!

Thank you Dave, Liz, Jason, Ed, Tess, Graham, George, Lauren, Sam, Roger and Mari (and anyone else who I've forgotten to list!). Basically, I'm doing this because you all inspired me. You rock -x-