Completing a Lands Triptych – and doing a Twin Event!
Two years ago I found a triptych – I mean I had the idea for a conceptual triptych. Specifically, I meant a cultural/land triptych which I called SSS: Scotland, Samiland and Siberia. I felt that Scotland and Samiland (‘Lapland’) were the heads of many countries, i.e. they are the northern tops of Britain (for Scotland), Norway, Sweden and Finland (for Samiland). And Siberia is the last vast north-eastern side of Russia.
The first step in this triptych articulation was at the Further North conference in Newcastle in September 2014. I have then titled the projects: ‘Triptych Grids and Unconscious Beyonds – Way Up North’.
I have so far travelled into two steps of this triptych: I have written on Scotland and Samiland. Siberia is still some distance away….
Then, earlier this year when I went to Cornwall, and then later when I was getting ready to go to Wales, it dawned on me that here was another land-triptych: Cornwall, Wales and Scotland! This time going to Scotland will be going far: I am going all the way to Orkney, and within Orkney all the way up to Papa Westray – or Papay!
And then a whole big project developed: my artist friend Irene Lafferty and I decided to go to Orkney and meet there. There were lots of reasons for this.
Then another close friend of ours, Esther Bunting, who runs Spirited Bodies, and where I have modelled before and Irene had drawn before, is doing a life drawing event at the Edinburgh Fringe (and also with a group called All the Merry Nudes). So we had the idea of coinciding with her, to do a parallel sister event – life drawing and poetry – at that time, so we run in synchronicity!
And there we are: a Triptych and a Twin event! 3 + 2.
Triptychs. Grids: because they map landscapes and find similarities, like twin towns or triplet towns, but as a land pieces – and coastal pieces, seaside sides.
So now I had Cambourne and the Coast in Cornwall, Pembrokeshire in Wales, and I will have Orkney in Scotland! Lots of coastlines, lots of water, lots of rock alongside it!
The photos here are from the middle part of this triptych, ie. from Wales – here Pembrokeshire.
Papay Westray seems to be full of art! There’s an Arts Centre called Papey Listskjul and there is a cultural centre called the Kelp Store! That’s all around the amazing visual and archeological sensation and Neolithic settlement which makes that island so special.
So for the event the 23rd August is the date! This day also is the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition! So we are also inspired by the road to freedom and self-determination.
We will be at the Kelp Store from 7 – 9 pm (so Irene draws, plus anyone else who would like to join in, and I will model and also perform some of my poetry: and together we are the Escape Artists). Esther’s Twin-and-Fringe event is from 8 – 10, so we overlap in the middle. At first we were going to coincide fully with the time but latitude plus wind movement made us decide to do the event in wave-form – like a time-wave or an event-wave. So therefore we’ll be Papay Meridian Zone, collaborating with Edinburgh Fringe time zone.
And also what makes Papay special is that they are so art-active! On a small island with less than a hundred people on it! If any place could be an Art Republic, they could!
And there’s a lot more writing to follow on all the three bits, and all in one and each and every which way, there is a lot to write about these magic triple journeys. So more is on its way!
Now it’s the Olympics as well, so these triptychs become a triathlon as well!
ColourCirclesite 