Cwtch
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Cwtch was a public site specific art work located in the Bronze Age funeral cairn Carnau Garreg y Las, on the top of the Black Mountain. The project involved community groups and outside institutions, including The Brecon Beacons Park Authority, Meithrin Mynydd Liason group (Graziers), Cadw, Dyfdd & Powys Archaeological Trust, The Countryside Commission, The Black Mountain Centre, their walking group & local historical society and the Tawe Guild of Weavers, & Spinners.
The Brecon Beacons Park Authority Sustainable Development Fund, The Black Mountain Centre, Brynamman and Swansea Metropolitan supported the project. |
Cwtch 2010 (Image Duncan Schlee)
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The Coffin Route between Ystradgynlais & Llanddeusant (Courtesy of Arwel Michael)
The project was centred round the coffin trail that led from Ystradgynlais over the Black Mountain to Llanddeusant, and commemorates the lives of those men killed in the coal mines and quarries in the 19th Century, whose bodies were carried back home over the mountain for burial, whilst celebrating this unique landscape, today sculptured by sheep farming.
This work was central to my MA Fine Art (Contemporary Dialogues) 2010 and focused on five main areas of activity,
1. Mountain Spirit, a tale that combines fact with fiction, incorporating mythologies that have been disseminated through storytelling.
2. Underlying Traces, a post representational series of site-responsive work that explored drawing into the landscape with found sheep’s fleece. These ephemeral interventions commemorate the ‘coffin trail’ that is located on the Black Mountain between Ystradgynlais and Llanddeusant,
3. Shrouded Shawl, a performance artwork that explores the relationship of self to the landscape and celebrates the cycle of life, death and rebirth, which has been documented through lens based media.
4. Cwtch a public site specific art project which was located in the Bronze Age funeral cairns Carau Garreg y Las on the top of the Black Mountain. The artwork and accompanying events involved community groups and outside institutions, including The Brecon Beacons Park Authority, Cadw, Dyfdd Archaeological Trust, The Black Mountain Centre & the Welsh Wool Museum. There was an accompanying exhibition held in the Black Mountain Centre in Brynamman and video documentation screened at the Brecon Beacons Visitor Centre, Libanus.
5. Destum A documented art performance, filmed by Anita Eide.
The overall aim was to produce work that is intellectually rigorous in its conceptual and philosophical inception as well as possessing aesthetic qualities, through a variety of processes and media. The work incorporates local history, the culture, the domestic, the landscape and the cyclic nature of live and death. By deconstructing and reconstructing the associated multi-textured and layered ideas and concepts, I hoped to generate a relationship between the domestic and the land and generate a dialogue, which will embrace the concept of protection, whilst engendering an aesthetic, visual and spiritual experience in an area of outstanding natural beauty.
This work was central to my MA Fine Art (Contemporary Dialogues) 2010 and focused on five main areas of activity,
1. Mountain Spirit, a tale that combines fact with fiction, incorporating mythologies that have been disseminated through storytelling.
2. Underlying Traces, a post representational series of site-responsive work that explored drawing into the landscape with found sheep’s fleece. These ephemeral interventions commemorate the ‘coffin trail’ that is located on the Black Mountain between Ystradgynlais and Llanddeusant,
3. Shrouded Shawl, a performance artwork that explores the relationship of self to the landscape and celebrates the cycle of life, death and rebirth, which has been documented through lens based media.
4. Cwtch a public site specific art project which was located in the Bronze Age funeral cairns Carau Garreg y Las on the top of the Black Mountain. The artwork and accompanying events involved community groups and outside institutions, including The Brecon Beacons Park Authority, Cadw, Dyfdd Archaeological Trust, The Black Mountain Centre & the Welsh Wool Museum. There was an accompanying exhibition held in the Black Mountain Centre in Brynamman and video documentation screened at the Brecon Beacons Visitor Centre, Libanus.
5. Destum A documented art performance, filmed by Anita Eide.
The overall aim was to produce work that is intellectually rigorous in its conceptual and philosophical inception as well as possessing aesthetic qualities, through a variety of processes and media. The work incorporates local history, the culture, the domestic, the landscape and the cyclic nature of live and death. By deconstructing and reconstructing the associated multi-textured and layered ideas and concepts, I hoped to generate a relationship between the domestic and the land and generate a dialogue, which will embrace the concept of protection, whilst engendering an aesthetic, visual and spiritual experience in an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Underlying Traces
A series of site responsive works dictated by and drawn into the landscape along the coffin route using found sheep’s fleece.
A series of site responsive works dictated by and drawn into the landscape along the coffin route using found sheep’s fleece.
Shrouded Shawl
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Shrouded Shawl 1: Black Mountain
Performance March 2009 |
Metamorphosis 2: Guardian of the Big Sleep
Performance at Walcot Chapel May 2009 |
Cwtch
The 20ft circular blanket, Cwtch, was made from 12 miles of hand spun wool, the length of the coffin route, obtained from the sheep that grazed on the mountain, and then hand knitted.
The 20ft circular blanket, Cwtch, was made from 12 miles of hand spun wool, the length of the coffin route, obtained from the sheep that grazed on the mountain, and then hand knitted.
Cwtcc 2010 (Image Anita Eide)
No 6. Return of Cwtch
Return of Cwtch
In early November 2015 Cwtch was returned to its origins on the beautiful Black Mountain, Llyn y Fignen Felen peat bog where it was sown with heather seeds at its final resting place. The ritual event attended by friends, the public and representatives of the Brecon Beacon National Park Authority celebrated the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth as helping restore the area through conserving the peat.
In early November 2015 Cwtch was returned to its origins on the beautiful Black Mountain, Llyn y Fignen Felen peat bog where it was sown with heather seeds at its final resting place. The ritual event attended by friends, the public and representatives of the Brecon Beacon National Park Authority celebrated the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth as helping restore the area through conserving the peat.
Cwtch Final Rest (Image. Daniel Staveley)
It has been noted that on periodic visits to the site that heather seeds and grasses have germinated reabsorbing the wool blanket into the landscape whilst simultaneously been ravaged by animal visits and the elements.
Absorption
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Wear and Tear (Image. Alan Bowring)
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Walkers who stumble on the blanket are invited to post their own images on facebook.com/CwtchBreconBeacons.
The Press Release can be viewed here.
The Press Release can be viewed here.
Press and Media Links
Exhibition opens to accompany Black Mountain Cwtch
Welsh Artist Cwtches Up To The Black Mountain
Giant blanket in mountain 'hug'
Blanket to hug bleak peak on the old ‘coffin route’
Giant blanket in mountain 'hug'
Swansea artist celebrates a creative peak with mountain Cwtch
Blanket to hug bleak peak on the old 'coffin route'.
Read the news article on the BBC by clicking here.
and see the BBC's articles here and here
And the latest BBC link here.
Swansea Metropolitan University has featured an article here.
The HubCap website is featuring Ann here.
SMUMA
Interview on BBC Radio Wales Jamie & Louise Show Thursday 04.03.2010 and BBC Radio Wales Evening Show.
Cwtch featured in Simply Knitting Magazine April 2010
Featured in Buzz Magazine and Blog April 2010.
Exhibition opens to accompany Black Mountain Cwtch
Welsh Artist Cwtches Up To The Black Mountain
Giant blanket in mountain 'hug'
Blanket to hug bleak peak on the old ‘coffin route’
Giant blanket in mountain 'hug'
Swansea artist celebrates a creative peak with mountain Cwtch
Blanket to hug bleak peak on the old 'coffin route'.
Read the news article on the BBC by clicking here.
and see the BBC's articles here and here
And the latest BBC link here.
Swansea Metropolitan University has featured an article here.
The HubCap website is featuring Ann here.
SMUMA
Interview on BBC Radio Wales Jamie & Louise Show Thursday 04.03.2010 and BBC Radio Wales Evening Show.
Cwtch featured in Simply Knitting Magazine April 2010
Featured in Buzz Magazine and Blog April 2010.
