A Journey Through Sacred and Ancient Landscapes
Venturing through the wild, untamed landscapes and windswept coasts of Wales, the tale of Sir Gawain in his quest for the Green Knight weaves together the myth, the land and the seasons symbolising the challenges of nature and the trials of courage and honour. Forging deep connections to the landscapes of Anglesey, a land rich in history, we visited some of the island's most notable and sacred sites, allowing the changing colours and textures of autumn to guide our creative process. Whilst Gawain's journey begins and ends in winter, ours began back in Autumn, October 2023 on the towering cliffs of Holyhead Mountain as we embarked on our reimagined journey in the spirit of Sir Gawain.
Hiking through the rugged terrain of Holyhead Mountain with its dramatic views, stark, rocky cliffs scattered with hardy, wind beaten vegetation, we gathered pigments and flora bathed in the glow of autumn. The textures of the stones and the warm, earthy palette that reflects the changing colours of the season became the initial inspiration for the beginning of our journey into 'Autumn'. Feeling the pull of ancient history, this landscape with its rolling hills and the vast scale of its craggy peaks feels alive with stories from another time. Whilst we venture into new work with an initial thought or idea, we often feel the weight of a million more stories hidden in the earth that we collect. It is always humbling to be reminded that the work is always bigger than us, a million more possibilities of life, death and transformation, but for now, we are present in this moment and the day takes us onward to nearby South Stack. Arriving at dusk as the light was dimming over the ancient Ty Mawr hut circles overlooking the bay, we collected rocks and took note of textures whilst the waves crashed on the rocks beneath us. It reminded us not only of the earth but of elemental power as a conduit for stories and a physical body that has the ability to transport material objects and stones ashore having travelled a thousand miles over a thousand years or more. There are stories within stories. It is endless as we look out to the sea with the beacon of light from the lighthouse whirring round, bringing us back into the present, reminding us of each passing moment.
Our journey continued the following day to the awe inspiring Church in the Sea, known locally as Eglwys Cwyfan, a small 12th century church sitting on a tidal island, cut off from the mainland except during low tide. We connected with the solitude and resilience which mirrors Gawain's own solitary journey as he faced the unknown, whilst also feeling the shared joy of making this work as a duo, and connecting with the stories and the places we visit together. We get lost in the search and discovery of nature and its possibilities: a building or rockface weathered by time, vegetation and flora with its textures and shifting hues, a rock, a shell, a rusted object carefully and respectfully collected as we turn out our pockets at the end of the day with a childlike wonder in awe of our finds and how we might use them in our work to convey a thought or feeling from our travels.
One of the most significant moments of our journey was a visit to 'Bryn Celli Ddu', a burial chamber steeped in thousands of years of history and mystery, and one of Anglesey's most famous landmarks. Also known as 'The Mound in the Dark Grove', it is thought to date back over 5000 years. It is a place where the dead were interred and the alignment of the chamber where the sun passes through on the summer solstice suggests it was also used for ceremony and ritual. The duality of its purpose in holding space for the dead and the solar alignment tells of a deep connection to the cycles of the sun and the changing seasons, marking time with celebration and spirituality. It's energy felt timeless, rooted in the ancient practises of those who came before us.
Incorporating the stone circle into our work allowed us to blend the physical elements of the landscape with the spiritual aspects of Pagan tradition, drawing on the symbolism of both. The circle's significance as a site of ritual and reflection is mirrored in the themes of our work, which honours both the journey of Gawain and the cycles of life and nature. With Samhain rooted in autumn, halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice, we honoured the end of the harvest season with our own feast and ritual fire. Perhaps mimicking the sun and its powers of growth and its ability to ward off the darkness and decay that comes with winter, fire is transformative and is believed to have protective and cleansing powers. With a thin veil between the physical and spiritual worlds, a belief held within ancient traditions and folklore in many cultures, we merged these traditions into our art practise, allowing us to layer a spiritual significance. We burnt wood and used the spent embers as pigment reinforcing the cyclical flow of life and death, a process that is ever evolving around us.
From ritual fires to the healing properties of holy water representing both the tangible and the ethereal, embodying life, emotion, change and purity, we ventured to St. Winifred's Holy Well. Housed within a 16th century gothic style structure, the crystal clear water is reputed to have healing powers by the many pilgrims that travelled across Europe seeking to cure various ailments with water from the sacred spring. Collecting water on our site visits has become an important part of our practise and enables us to combine the four elements in a ritual of transformation, merging together to reflect the cycles of creation, destruction, and renewal.
It felt fitting to incorporate Wirral sandstone into our autumn piece, not just for a colour palette but because it's the foundation on which the peninsular sits. Formed during the Triassic period over 200 million years ago and shaped by ancient river and wind deposits, Thor's rock at Thursaston has developed a distinct weathered shape and it became our landmark for gathering loose grains to turn into dye. With folklore tales associating the outcrop with the Norse god - Thor, there's no historical evidence of Viking connection, but the remnants of graffiti scarred into the rock are reminiscent of ancient runes and the presence of human interaction formed over many decades.
Back in the studio with an abundance of raw materials collected, we began by making marks on the silk through bundle dyeing, using discarded eucalyptus for botanical impressions that form the first layers that are often hidden but inform the overall composition. The silk was then dipped in chlorophyll dye to create an ombre effect, as with each piece measuring over 3 metres in height we wanted the colours to meander through, reflecting the changing hues of each season. Sandstone seeps in over the green, applied in several textural layers and existing marks were painted in with holy water and fire embers.
Rust prints from found objects were incorporated, the process of oxidisation brings in the final element of air, leaving behind decorative holes, symbolising the beauty of decay. These unplanned, alchemical reactions often become the most symbolic aspects of our work. Our collaboration with nature brings great reward when we push past the boundaries of being 'safe' and let the materials do what they want.
Finally, the addition of copper leaf serves as a reminder that in the degradation of once beautiful materials, there is a transformation that reveals new layers of beauty and meaning.
The finished 'Autumn' piece forms the first of our four seasonal offerings for this work entitled 'In Eternal Sequence', a quote taken from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Simon Armitage:
"Gawain had been glad to begin the game, but don't be shocked if the plot turns pear shaped, for men might be merry when addled with mead, but each year, short lived, is unlike the last, and rarely resolves in the style it arrived. So the festival finishes and a new year follows in eternal sequence, season by season."
"Autumn arrives to harden the harvest and with it comes a warning to ripen before winter. The drying airs arrive, driving up dust from the face of the earth to the heights of heaven, and wild sky wrestles the sun with its winds, and the leaves of the lime lay littered on the ground, and the grass that was green turns withered and grey."
In a fitting conclusion to our journey, we came full circle by returning our autumn piece to Thor's rock on the autumn equinox. As part of this ever evolving sequential act, we expressed our gratitude for all that the Earth provided us with for this work. The autumn equinox, also known as Mabon in Pagan tradition, is a time when day and night are perfectly balanced, marking the turning point towards the darker half of the year. It's a moment of reflection and giving thanks for the harvest and all the earth has offered. In a ceremonious gesture, we returned the piece to the landscape where it was born, collaborating with the land once more. We photographed the work in situ, paying homage to the cycles of nature and honouring the connection between the natural world and our creative journey inspired by Sir Gawain and his own quest for honour and self discovery. This act of returning the piece symbolises our thanks and deep appreciation for the materials and inspiration the Earth has so generously shared with us.
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