C-Art, Cumbria 2016. The Long View

Our monthly visit to our caravan in the Lake District last week coincided with Cumbria's C-Art open studio trail.  We had a very enjoyable couple of days looking at the work of several artists.  One of these was the work of husband and wife artists Harriet and Rob Fraser.  I was fascinated by this work, not only because it was photography, but from the point of view of the text involved as the course notes accompanying part 4 of BOW is to do with the use of text (although I have still to give it my consideration.)  Rob Fraser is a photographer and his wife a poet and the two have combined images and words in this project.  We saw the work displayed at Thorney How guest house at Grasmere.  The last time I had been there was when I stayed many years ago during its previous incarnation as a youth hostel so I was doubly fascinated.

Rob and Harriet tell us that the Long View focuses on seven remarkably ordinary trees in extraordinary locations.  Each tree is photographed by Rob and Harriet has written poetry for each. Their website is at this link.

 They have been getting to know the trees over the past year and intend to continue walking to them and recording their journeys and their responses until June 2017.  Each tree is twinned with a local school and the pair are leading public walks during the duration of the project.  Each tree will take its turn to be transformed with a colour of the rainbow.  The first transformation was at The Wasdale Oak last May and involved the placement of a poem on 110m of yellow cloth, connecting the tree to the shore of Wastwater.  The final exhibition, which will include the installation of real trees, 3D artwork, photographs, poetry and video, will launch at The Galleries in Grizedale Forest in July 2017.  It will tour the UK in 2018.

When I was looking at the website I was reminded of some photography I have done of a particular oak tree on the fellside above our caravan and camping club site at Ashes Lane near Stavely.  I include some of the images below.