Mae casglu gwrthrychau bob amser wedi bod yn rhan bwysig o’m mhroses gweithio.
Fel y soniais yn y ‘post’ cyntaf, daw mwyafrif o’m syniadau cychwynnol pan fyddaf yn cerdded. Yn ystod y teithiau cerdded, dwy’n teimlo atyniad greddfol at gasglu gwrthrychau, naill ai’n naturiol neu wedi eu gwneud. Mae rhai o rhain yn eistedd yn fy stiwdio fel ffynhonnell ysbrydoliaeth, ond mae ambell un yn cael ei gyfuno yn y gwaith gorffenedig. Fe’u dewisir am fanylion gweledol, y siâp, y lliw, neu am resymau cyffyrddol.
Collecting ‘found objects’ has always been an important part of my working process.
As I mentioned in the first post, most of my initial ideas come to me when I’m walking. During these walks I am instinctively drawn to collecting objects, either natural or man- made. Some of these objects sit in my studios as a source of inspiration, and a few become incorporated into finished work. They are chosen for a visual detail, the overall shape, colour, or for tactile reasons.
Drawing and making artist books are also a part of my working process.
Below are examples of small concertina books, made alongside the three dimensional vessels. Working in this way allows me to explore different ideas that may feed back into the 3D work.
Ar Goll ac i’w Gael ym Môr Iwerddon / Lost and Found in the Irish Sea
Objects found and collected on the coastline around Caergybi/Holyhead
Beth Sydd Isod / What Lies Below
A map outlining the depth of the Irish Sea bed between the ports of Holyhead and Dublin
Hwyliau / Sails
Sails that didn’t get included in the completed vessels but were part of my research
Geiriau Golygol – Saesneg / Visual Words – English (with a detail below)
I enjoy exploring words and their meaning in visual forms.
Geiriau Golygol – Cymraeg / Visual Words – Welsh (with a detail below)
Lluniadau llinell o gychod i archwilio a deall y ffurfiau | Line drawings of vessels to explore and understand their forms
The intention at the end of my last post was to move on to the larger work ‘Cwch Caergybi’ a boat with its community ‘cargo’ made in collaboration with the community of Caergybi, but due to lockdown that has had to be postponed.
Tua diwedd 2020 daeth symudiad pobl ar draws Môr Iwerddon i ben oherwydd cyfyngiadau ‘covid’ ac roedd y llongau fferi sy’n croesi i Ddulyn yn cynnwys tryciau cludo yn bennaf.
Towards the end of 2020 the movement of people across the Irish Sea ceased for a time due to covid restrictions and the ferries crossing to Dublin consisted mostly of haulage trucks. This freight increased dramatically prior to the Brexit deadline and with the stockpiling of goods, the roads leading to Caergybi/Holyhead were gridlocked with lorries heading to the port. As we turn into 2021 there has been a recent restriction of goods due to bureaucratic red tape.
Anaml y mae swyddogaeth borthladd yn statig, mae’n adlewyrchu’r hyn sy’n gyfredol mewn cymdeithas.
The changes that continue to evolve at Caergybi / Holyhead prompted me to capture the moment in time, to add to my flotilla. I chose to replace the modern, machine made ferry with a more fragile, iconic vessel form that has a strong connection to ritual, but also to commercial ventures of the past. An imaginary ‘hybrid’ of Viking longboat and Egyptian solar boat.
The function of a port is rarely static, it reflects what is current in society.
A number of years ago, I had personal experience of seeing the Khufu Solar boat (2589–2566 BCE) which was found buried at the foot of one of the great Pyramids of Giza. Its purpose was to carry the buried Pharaoh and cargo to the ‘otherworld’. This ancient vessel, symbolically referencing the passing from one world to the other, seemed in context with the current situation. The fragile vessel carrying its freight of haulage vehicles across the Irish Sea is an intuitive response to current events.
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