Reading Week Shenanigans
On the advice of my course compatriot, I decided to make my reading week count and understand professional practice a little better. I also wanted to understand the "Landscape" of Cornwall beyond the land itself. So I convinced my better half to be my travel partner down to Cape Cornwall once more, to visit Levant Mine & The Jackson Foundation Gallery.
I learned a lot from my visit to Levant that I didn't know before. On visiting St Just (the local town nearby), previously I had not considered it's location. It's only purpose as a town was to provide home to the miners and their families. Being a miner in days gone by was more deadly than being a police officer in the 21st century. If a flame reacted badly with any gases released while splitting rocks looking for ore, it would mean death for all nearby in the mine, not just that particular shaft. Re-learning with my adult head made me reconsider all the picturesque engine houses that scatter the Cornish landscape. It also made me think about what Cornwall lost in terms of economics. There is hope in 21st century mining however, that some mines might be able to sustainably supply lithium, providing a much needed injection of funds to Cornwall's undeveloped economy.
After this, we visited the Jackson Foundation Gallery for an injection of Cornish Art inspiration. Admittedly, I had not heard of Kurt Jackson before starting my time at university. I have quickly become a firm follower of his work and explored his latest collection focused around the Helford River area. Unfortunately I was limited by the staff as to how many photos I could take, so what I have here are the few I could surreptitiously capture:
Laid out on a piece of wood were his sketchbook pieces from the Helford river. I was blown away by their simplicity and beauty from that simplicity. I have often doubted my work for being too simple, but to see these preliminary sketches formed by someone who has become a bit of an inspiration to me really touched me. (So much so I was "forced" to purchase a copy of the book containing his sketchbooks!) From that book, I learned that his views about sketchbooks are similar to that of a view professionals I have met that say the body of preliminary work should stand as bodies of work in their own right. I am compelled to agree wholeheartedly. I also was surprised to see a piece of Jackson's in ink. I had never seen any of his work beyond his renowned paintings, I loved seeing his skills transferred into a medium I am falling in love with. Upstairs in the gallery was a little less monitored, so I took the following pics of an exhibition of photographer Ander Gunn:
Ever since my own stint at Photography at A-level, I have loved B&W photography; I often thought it is a wonderful gift to see the world without noisy colours. It makes things a little simpler to see shades of grey over so many difficult and overstimulating colours. Seeing a large body of work focusing on more than what I was able to capture here was very nostalgic for me. Also seeing famous faces captured in such a familiar way made the work that much more relatable. Seeing both these places made me wonder about the nature of how these people are able to create and live their lives.
