Feedback Analysis Dr John Scanlan, video links and weblinks

The Garden of Earthly Delights II, Beck Wood, Millom

The title for the work references both Hieronymus Bosch: a painting depicting a panorama of Heaven and Hell showing humanity in a state of chaos and an earlier work created at Cruickshank Botanic Gardens, University of Aberdeen during the River Don Residency (SURF Aberdeen City Council).

In this iteration of the work, the location is an abandoned paintball site in local woodland. Unwanted artificial flowers and displays are positioned in the natural environment in a paintball ‘war zone’, a symbolic gesture of the conflict within the global community over the environment and sustainability, between the natural and the manmade. The vivid summer colours of artificial flowers, when viewed against the backdrop of a dormant wintertime woodland are both engaging and at the same time jarring; for many this eruption of colour produces a smile with all its implications of kitsch or postmodern irony. However, the feeling generated in the sensory site of woodland is one of disquiet; gaudy artifice disrupting the tranquillity of this 'sleeping' space. The work serves as a reminder to us all of the perils we may face if humankind continues on a path whereby nature is increasingly supplanted by dubious human creations.

The project will continue to evolve throughout Spring 2019 visitors will be invited to participate with an opportunity for portrait photography of a surreal woodland glade as a backdrop. * suitable plastic recycling

The Wood Stump Elevation located on top of Millom Park, a much loved site by local residents for walks and is also where Ghyll Scaur Quarry operates on the same hill, removing the trees land and rock in supplying high grade aggregate for highways throughout the UK.

The tree stumps each have labels marked with mysterious ‘consignment codes’ of tree species from the ‘Forestry Commission’s Forest Technical Document’ with dates from a number of sources devised by the artist for example: Pi: 000 100552/18 and poetic phrases from diverse sources; Larkin and Kilmer, Nicholson and Nan Shepherd to Rosetti and The Psalms. ‘I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree.’ (Joyce Kilmer, ‘Trees’)

Rogan’s work is concerned with elevating the humble timber plantation of remnant Pine tree stumps from harvesting in 2012, the wood they produced is used throughout the world for the most basic materials fencing, plywood, poles and pulp. This work is an acknowledgement of the value of the wood beyond that of commerce and industry. A simple label fluttering in the breeze animates the immediate space of the stump, once more attracting attention to their presence.

The Seaweed Code

The work is made out of material found on the shores of the Duddon Estuary, an arrangement of seaweed in a Morse code for SOS meaning save our seas, a temporary artwork, to be carried away in the next tide. Whilst the work was being created, passersby discussed it with Irene, the climate, the presence of plastic and pollution od the environment. The installation was present for a week before strong winds and high seas took it away.

A video was produced in collaboration with local videographer Jem Freiesleben, titled SOS, a short film of the artist creating the work. Video can be seen here: https://youtu.be/Q_eQB9rM9Zw

Moving Mountains Art - The Making of a Cultural Landscape

Artist Talks and feedback analysis

Context

Moving Mountains Art was undertaken during the period October-December 2018 as part of the ACE-funded ‘Art in the Environment’ project. During the course of this programme audience members attending each event were invited to fill in a short feedback form. The questions were designed to reveal the extent to which the population of Millom are receptive to the arts both in terms of this project and potential future activities.

Brief analysis Based on the feedback from audiences who attended the various events the evidence is clear that the overwhelming majority had little or no knowledge of Moving Mountains Art before actually attending one of the events and, as such, the subsequent feedback reflects the challenges and opportunities faced the artist moving into new and uncultivated cultural terrain. This was evident in the fact that more than two-thirds of those attending thought that there was a lack of existing cultural or creative outlets for people in the town of Millom. Further to this, when the audiences were asked if they would be interested in more events such as artist talks, over 95% of them agreed not only that they would be in favour of this, but that they also thought that these events provided a means of bringing together a community that had few other opportunities to meet to share a common interest in the arts and other cultural activities.

It is also clear from the responses of those attending the events that the Artist Talks programme of events – bringing in artists, and speakers from other arts, such as Art Gene – that the Moving Mountains Art acted as a means of informing people in Millom about wider activity in Cumbria that they were not previously familiar with. As a result of these overwhelming positive local benefits, over 95% of those who attended said they would recommend future events of this kind to friends and work colleagues.

During the period of this programme of events it is clear that such word of mouth recommendations accounted in large part for event attendance, which was also stimulated to a lesser extent by social media (which also functions much like word of mouth, or friend recommendations anyway). The future challenge for growing the influence of Moving Mountains Art would be to gain more exposure via local print and broadcast media in the run up to, and after, the events.

Dr John Scanlan In Certain Places University of Central Lancashire 01 March 2019

FILMS FROM THE PROJECT

Disaggregated Industries Jane Topping and Mark Vernon - short film an atmospheric, science fiction film set in Millom

https://youtu.be/DccwL6BlFYc

SOS (Save Our Seas) Video collaboration with Jem Freiesleben and Irene Rogan https://youtu.be/3Gf4HSCSYKk

Matter Matters performance, installation and short film event highlights https://youtu.be/nxmaYDbEIoI filmed by Jem Freiesleben

CREDITS

To the individuals, community groups and organisations that the artist met and discussed Moving Mountains Art in the Environment with, developed and coordinated projects with , to thank them ALL for their commitment and sharing their talents and their spirit of collaboration in the interest of Millom community:

The Farmers: Holland, Morris-Eyton, Park, Sharp and Tyson. Bill Amos, Frank Brown, Peter Cairns, Adrianne Calsy, Dr David Cooper MMU, Tony Dixon, Trevor Dixon, Antoinette Fawcett, Jem Freiesleben, Debbie Haine, Debbie Harkness, Laurie Gribbin, Jim Hodgson, Charlie Lambert, Phil Northcott, Jonathan Powell, Julia Rice, Hannah Robinson, Dr John Scanlan UCLAN, Howard Shimmin, Megan Spragg, Dean Steele, Teresa Toms, Noel Troughton.

Moving Mountains was assisted in projects with support from the following organisations and groups: Millom Town Council, Millom Library, staff , Millom Discovery Centre, Millom Hope and Cope, , Millom Community Church, Millom Community Coffee Lounge, Millom Methodist Church, MIND, Darren Grange and pupils Millom School, Blackcombe Junior School and staff, Millom, Norman Nicholson Society, Sheldon Construction Services, Garden Harmony Millom, Diane and Barry Vernon Millom Palladium, Signal Media Barrow, Art Gene, Jane Micklethwaite Mayor Millom Town Council, Mike Starkie Elected Mayor Copeland Borough Council, David Savage South Copeland Partnership, Duddon Estuary Partnership, Chris Hudson Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Anthony Parkinson Aggregates Ltd, Ghyll Scaur, Andrew Whitworth Lowther Forestry, Wayne Ruddy Tornado, Charlie Lambert The Norman Nicholson Society, Holy Trinity Church Wardens, BBC Radio Cumbria, NW Mail, Urban Splash.

Photo credits:

Front Cover to Credits Irene Rogan apart from| p7: Millom Library Days Debbie Haine| p8 Stone carving workshop with Shawn Williamson by Jem Freiesleben | p12: Artist Talks poster Phil Northcott| p14: Ten Farmers poster Irene Rogan photo Angela Dixon| p15-18Ten Farmers Angela Dixon | p19: Matter Matters Poster Phil Northcott| p24: Matter Matters video stills by Jem Freiesleben| p25: Down by the rocks Karen Jackson-Smith | p26: Disaggregated Industries still Jane Topping|p29: Summary map John Bartholomew & Son Ltd| p30 : Credits Irene Rogan