Tales of walking, eating, watching and playing. Vintage treasures and simple pleasures ... the things that make her happy.

Friday 22 June 2012

Gormley's Gang and a thank you

 Turner prize winning British sculptor Anthony Gormley (best known for his sculpture ‘Angel of the North’) is currently exhibiting his 1993 installation ‘Field for the Biritish Isles’ at Barrington Court in Somerset.
National Trust photo
Three rooms of the usually empty medieval manor house have been invaded by a total of 40,000 terracotta figures handmade by the people of St Helens on Merseyside
In line with Gormley’s instructions the figures were set up by local Somerset people and took five days to complete.
Their simple faces stare back at you as you stare at them.
 
Antony Gormley said: “Field was my first collaborative work. The concept was mine, but it could not have been made without the help of many people. The instructions to create the work are very simple. You sit on the floor. You take a ball of clay from a pile. With your clay, you create a “body” in the space between your hands. You allow it to stand up, and make it conscious by giving it eyes with the point of a sharpened pencil. That repeated action of taking a hand-sized ball of clay, squeezing it between your hands, standing it up and giving it consciousness becomes meditative, the repeated action becoming almost like breathing, or a heartbeat.”
 
Little man and two creative friends had a go at making made their own little 'Gormleyesque' figures …



Same materials, same instructions.
Three different little people.
Just like humankind.
______________________________________________

I would like to say a huge thank you to all VJ followers.  To those who have been here from the start, or joined somewhere along the journey, thank you for sticking with me.  To the new followers who have appeared recently … welcome!

The tumult of recent weeks (there has been a lot more going on than has been written about here), has often made me question the frivolity and dare I say it, egotistical, writing of a blog (Sophie of  Fading Grace recently summed it up perfectly). 

I try not to write about the bad bits, the humdrum and tedium, which maybe makes it all seem a little unreal and superficial, but believe me VJ’s life is not all a bed of roses.  I work long hours, the garden always needs doing, there’s a constant and ever growing ironing mountain, the house is usually a mess, I don’t spend enough time with my little man … you know the score.  I write about the good times because when I read back over old posts, possibly in years to come, I want to read about the happy times and not dwell on the bad.  I want to read about the treasures that passed through my hands and the interesting snippets I picked up along my vintage way.

I have made some fantastic bloggy friends who get ‘it’.  Some I have met, some I will meet, some will remain cyber friends.

Your support recently has been amazing.  Thank you.

14 comments:

Unknown said...

What a thoughtful and inspiring Mum you are, introducing your 'little Man' to the wonders of art and creativity, such a simple idea but so thought provoking...well done you.
And I whole heartedly agree with what you say about Blogging the 'good bits'...there is enough of the dreary and drudge in everyday life ....lets celebrate the nice bits.

Vicky x

Flaming Nora said...

I agree about keeping the blog as a happy place, full of happy stuff. Like you my life is no bed of roses. I fact you really could have been describing my life. But for me what makes blogging so very very special is that when I have occasionally, and it has only happened a couple of times, one really recently, had a bit of an online breakdown, every one gathers round and sends the most amazing love and support, it is truly humbling.
Any way sending love and support. xx

Anne said...

I completely agree with your sentiments about blogging.We all do it for our own reasons, I like to write about the nicer bits of my life but day to day elements do creep in as well.I am mad keen on family history and think how wonderful it would be in a hundred or so years to come (if there is such a thing as the internet) my ancestors can get an insight into the lives of me and my family!

nilly said...

Snap! There are obviously lots of us creating a blog to celebrate & remind ourselves of the good bits in our day-to-day lives. A very positive & helpful thing to do, I'd say.
I hope the Gormley exhibition comes our way too.

vintageandart said...

THREE rooms of little Gormley people.....that's amazing. l totally agree with you and Sophie about keeping our blogs a happy place to visit. Things have been a bit crap around our way lately...and blogland is such a welcome escape.

June said...

I love the Gormley makes! Blogging to me is a bit like a diary and some bad bits do creep in but I agree with your sentiments!
Have a lovely weekend and lets hope the sun shines a bit more over the weeks to come. I'm sick and tired of all this rain!
June

Tangled Sweetpea said...

Love the boys 3 little figures! And totally agree with blogging being a happy place :) but sometimes just acknowledging the day to day runnings helps with your state of mind :)
Victoria xx

Jen said...

I love little man and his friends figures--they have so much character!

We all edit our lives for blogs. It's about finding the balance that works for you. The most important thing is that you enjoy writing it. Then, as you know, your people will find you.

Take care of yourself.

Anonymous said...

How sweet, Marina to see your little guy and his friends re-creating their own Gormleyesque figures. It is an interesting concept and I can see how meditative it would be to do this over and over.

Last night, I watched a movie about two old friend who's husband's had just passed away and how each friend coped with it. In the end, one of the women developed cancer and was dying as well. (A very sad movie :() As she lay on her deathbed she chose to think about all the good times and not the bad. As her friend sat on the bed with her, she told her the only thing that was important was that you "loved". It doesn't matter if they love you back or not...just that you love. Life isn't always a cake walk and while we sometimes run into situations we have no control over it is best to try and find the good in each.

Thinking of you and hoping you have a wonderful weekend! ♥♥

Unknown said...

Such a lovely post and you put it perfectly. I have been thinking alot about things recently, especially about the amount of time I spend on my blog. Then I remember all the wonderful people I have met through it, the friends that I have made and it reminds me of the reason I started it. Like you I wanted a visual diary to look back on one day. I also wanted an outlet to share things with like minded people and for me that's the best part of it.

Vix said...

What a fantastic installation and a lovely way for your little boy to spend the day.
Like you I don't really write about the sad things in my life, blogging is a joyful diversion all about concentrating on the nicer things in life although I think we can all count on our blogging friends support if we do mention a sad event. xxx

Anonymous said...

Went to see this in Salisbury Cathedral in 1999, the year our daughter was born. It was wonderful but we didn't have the opportunity to make our own, which would have been great.

Blogging should be fun and sometimes it does touch on the sad and down sides of things but that is part of real life, isn't it. It is good to focus on what is great though as it makes us realise how fortunate we are in so many ways. Kx

Rose H (UK) said...

You're a very sweet lady.
Please pop over as I have something for you :o))
Rose H
x

Melanie said...

I am moved by this art installation. All those tiny eyes staring out has a haunting effect, even in a photograph. I feel a link with history, hoards of screaming soldiers running over hills, hoards of people cheering their monarchs... So much from such little people. That's wonderful that your son and his friends made their own Gormlies. Fantastic project!!