Disceautdiscede

A weekend of a ‘road trip’ back to Lincolnshire to see some places located deep in the recesses of my memory. First off Louth to see 3 life-sized bronze figures and floor text panels that I collaborated with laurence edwards to create 20 years ago. The work celebrated the fact that the meridian line passes through the town, one of the few habituated places on the planet. The work looked fantastic, like the day it was made and sited. The idea was that a male figure outside a church had got hold of the line, as it emerged from the ground, the tangled text line was confusing as it goes back to into the ground. It emerges outside the library where a second male figure holds a fractured line, it can be found going into another building. A third figure, a woman holds a perfect circle outside a school and understands the concept. The conceptual line was made physical by placing steel text in the street, emerging from shops and buildings only to disappear back into the city scape. The work also involved working with local media to generate the text which was cut into the line, alongside workshops in schools and the generation of a one-off book and exhibition for the library. It was commissioned by Louth Town Council and Commissions East. I can recommend the coffee at the Masons Arms, which has changed greatly in the 20 years since I was last there, microphone in hand giving a speech to the people of Louth! Lincoln itself was celebrating the imp with some totally glorious ‘statues’ what a time to pick to go. Lincoln has changed so much, locating my past was negotiated through recognising existing buildings, even if their function had changed. The cathedral is such a magnificent building, despite the £9:00 admission fee and it had not changed, the imp still in its place. I enjoyed seeing the motto above the door at the building which was where I worked at the art school Disce aut discede – learn or get out. My old house in Sturton by Stow seemed neater and the sun helped to make it and its surroundings quite beautiful. Out to the coast, via Horncastle, where every building seemed to be a second hand one 30 years ago. Anderby Creek and Chapel St Leonards.  What to say, what was an isolated empty space of contemplation now has 3 interventions to help you engage with nature, “to make it more interesting”. To say these are some of the most ill-conceived objects known to mankind is an understatement. A sound thing to enable you to hear the wind, in theory. An inaccessible cloud ‘bar’ watching device that consisted of a cluttered platform area of generic concrete clouds where you looked at clouds through mirrors, which in fact just reflected each other as the mirrors were so close together. What had happened was that a device to enable you to see clouds had made the whole exercise less accessible – genius, just add some very poor bird/text metal plaques and you have all the issues of why public art should not exist. Finally, just down the coast a lookout tower so badly designed that it actually blocks out the view when you climb the yes poorly accessible stairs …………. Oh dear, ill conceived is not strong enough to describe this travesty. At least the beach huts were worth seeing.