Stones To Lough Fada Part 2

Click image to see Stones to Lough Fada Part 2 (15m56s)

Click image to see Stones to Lough Fada Part 2 (15m56s)

STONES TO LOUGH FADA PART II

My memory takes me back to walking on this wild open landscape in West Cork last October. I imagine walking the same route during this month of May. Frieda had told me about the fierce wind called the Scairbhín (Scaraveen) that blows in from the East during the months of April and May which can cause so much destruction as it passes through. All that hard work on the land can feel futile when a landscape that has taken time to grow and nurture is instantly blackened and broken from this harsh powerful wind. To be here as a visitor and see it all as idyllic and beautiful, it is good to be reminded that to live here requires tenacity, determination and a lot of strength and patience. To have a willingness to deal with such a loss and start all over again is admirable.

Abstracted Soundscape

Here is part 2 of Stones to Lough Fada with the addition of slowed down flute recordings, recordings from the sea at Gortgariff and the voices of eleven participants all layered into a collage of abstracted soundscape.

It was lovely to hear the voices gradually coming together as I layered them into the timeline. Editing the piece was an interesting process in itself. It felt similar to arranging a piece of music but with the parts already written and just finding the right places to tweak the volume to allow certain words to glow at different moments. Either on their own or flowing in and out, finding moments of synchronicity and harmony to a crescendo or clashing of words dissolving into whispers.

Feedback from one of the participants after watching the completed film was so beautifully observed as

"a weaving of time and timelessness, bones brushing against each other’s memories and laying down with the sky.” Mel Shearsmith

See Stones to Lough Fada Part 2

THANK YOU

Thank you Frieda Meaney, Nikki Seren, Suzanne Iuppa, Pete Judge, Jan Edwards, Adrian Price, Andrew Price, Sue Mara, Diwas Dewan, Patrick Graham, Mel Shearsmith, Carien van Hest, for your beautiful voices and words.

Thank you Frieda Meaney for placing the stones.

Thank you Frieda Meaney and Hans Leptien for time and space to explore the landscape.

Thank you to all my Patreon supporters with special thanks to Guy Malkerson and Ari Malmberg.

Photography and sound produced by Mog Fry © March 2021

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Clair de Lune

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It was a real joy to make this film for Andre Shilmon performing Debussy's Clair de Lune.

Perfect timing too as the following weekend I managed to capture reflections of the February Snow Moon in the lake not far from my home. Merged with textures in the landscape of waterfall, river and pond resulting in a dreamscape of light reflections.

Andre Shlimon is a contemporary-classical pianist and composer, and the alter-ego of Paper Fishes frontman Andre Levy.

Andre Shlimon Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/6pYzZYVKEXWby7hgLA99vC

Paper Fishes Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0P5Au1xPkldiHh7PAat9cS

More of my films here https://www.eightfivepress.co.uk/films or here https://vimeo.com/519500335

Have a lovely weekend xx

Cabin At Road Books

Artist In Residence

GARRAVAGH, INNISCARA CORK, IRELAND

October 2020

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A MAIL ART PROJECT

In July 2020 I was offered a two week residency at Road Books, Cork, run by Judy Kravis and and Peter Morgan.

A vague idea for a mail art project had been rolling around in a small corner of my brain. I had written a list of friends, artists and musicians that I wanted to connect with while I was away. The list was so long that I realised I wouldn't be able to connect with all of them in the short time that I was there. I knew then that the project was going to organically unfold and I would allow my daily explorations of Garravagh guide the process.

At the end of September 2020, there were still Covid restrictions in the UK and Ireland. The cabin was the perfect place to be. I would be in quarantine for 14 days.

To read more about this project see Cabin At Road Books in the Artist In Residence section.

Elephant in Boa features no-mu residency

Photographs of Omoya by Rina Nakano.

Photographs of Omoya by Rina Nakano.

Illustrator Ksenia Kopalova and Evgenia Barinov recently launched their contemporary illustration magazine "Elephant in Boa” (Slon v Boa) focusing on image making in Russia. As part of the magazine they are featuring a section dedicated to the no-mu Artist in Residence in Kameoka, Japan where I spent 6 weeks at the beginning of 2020. See some stunning work by other artists on the residency including Ksenia Kopalova, Elena Aframova, Julie ChOvin and Rina Nakano. Delighted to be a part of this project. Thank you so much Ksenia for inviting me to take part.

no-mu artist residence in Slon v boa
Slon v Boa illustration magazine

Artist In Residence Kameoka (かめおか) Japan

“Kameoka City is surrounded by mountains and has a rich natural environment with rural scenery despite good access from Kyoto and Osaka. Beautiful green in the spring, autumn leaves in the fall, and the winter is surrounded by fog in Tamba. The Kameoka Fog Art Festival is fascinated by Kameoka as “Tokanaka” where you can meet such beautiful scenery of the four seasons, and together with many active artists, fosters the appeal of people and the local community.” Kameoka Kiri Art Cultivation

no-mu ’Micro Happening’ 2020

I was invited by artist Eikoh Tanaka to be part of the Artists in Residence Project “Micro Happening” at Artists’ Retreat no-mu, Kameoka, Japan.  

I spent 6 weeks from January 17th to February 27th experiencing the rich landscape of Kameoka. Falling in love with the mountains and fog, the rivers and pine trees, the rice and vegetable fields, the sound of the Sagano train line, the pickled daikon and turnips, soba noodles, tempura and onigiri, temples and shrines, shoji sliding doors, Japanese green tea, slippers and tatami, the peace and quiet and the wonderful community of Kameoka.

My senses continued to be awakened as I immersed myself in this new and fascinating culture documenting my explorations through field recordings, photography, film and print. Overwhelmed by the generosity of the people of Kameoka I gained a rich insight to this remarkable place, making connections with so many welcoming, open hearted people which inspired this new piece of work ‘22 Views of Kameoka’. A reflection and celebration of place and people of Kameoka. 

22 Views of Kameoka

Materials: Mini-prints made from rubber stamps printed on recycled card from consumables during my stay in Kameoka, washi from Arashiyama, and kraft card from Kyoto city.  Exhibited at Yugùe, Kyoto. 

22 Views of Kameoka - cafe Yùgue

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Thank you

Eikoh Tanaka, Kana Okanoya, Kouta Kameoka, Anna Namikawa, Elena Aframova, Julie Chovin, Alexandre Gailla, Akemi Shijyuku, Tomoko Tsukamoto, Yukari Yoshikawa, Yui Shimizu, Kotoe Shindo, Moegi Deguchi, Aki Makita, Sachiko Mochizuki, Cårrïe Ng, the chefs Hirotake Nagano and Yusaku Nishikawa, Hikaru Toyoda, Sachiko Toyoda, Julius Loewe, Kaori Yamane, Samuel Zeid, Felix Krienke, Alex Kerr, Hiroya Kawakami, Equili Brista musicians: Mitsugi Deguchi, Yasawa san, Yano san, Ohba Mitsuru, Azusa Okamoto, Keiichi Yoshikawa and Watanabe san.

Omoya house, Social Cuisine Sunday Gatherings at Omoya, Kiri (Fog) Festival, Kameoka Galleria events, festivals and Japanese lessons, Cafe Mimi, Coffee stand blackie, H District, Kamejin film, Saigen Temple, Kinku Temple, Kameoka Temples and Shrines, Hozugawa River, Kameoka Mountains, Sea of Clouds Terrace, Mayawaki bookshop, Rice and Vegetable fields, Oi River, Sagano train line, Namikawa station, White Base Laundromat, Omoya bicycles, Keizankaku Onsen...

Special thanks to Eiichi Shimasaki for putting me in touch with no-mu residency and also for organising the exhibition and gig at cafe Yùgue. Thank you to Dai Chan, at Cafe Yùgue, Kyoto for creating such a heart warming space and looking after everyone on the night. And Horoshiko for putting me up for the night and introducing me to the beautiful misty mountains of Ohara!

Cafe Yùgue

See Kameoka Reflections - film
From January 17th to February 27th 2020, I experienced the rich landscape of Kameoka. I fell in love with the mountains and fog, the rivers and pine trees, the rice and vegetable fields, the sound of the Sagano train line, the pickled daikon and turnips, soba noodles, tempura and onigiri, temples and shrines, shoji sliding doors, Japanese green tea, slippers and tatami, the peace and quiet and the wonderful community of Kameoka. I arrived at Omoya house, Kameoka, with very little art materials. Just my camera, laptop and a small amount of printing tools. Omoya kitchen became my studio for research as did the landscape of Kameoka. I used film, photography and field recordings to document my experience resulting in this 12 minute film, ‘Kameoka Reflections’. The film is a moving collage of landscape and objects layered with field recordings from outdoor journeys around Kameoka by train, bike and foot and an indoor journey of Omoya kitchen. Listening, observing and recording sound, shape and colour in an unfamiliar place was a fascinating experience. Whether natural, digital or mechanical, by paying attention, the senses were open to the newness of sound and place. With the senses heightened, each day was rich and alive. I immersed myself in a completely different culture meeting the local community, navigating new landscapes and language, deciphering symbols and signs, adjusting to different rules and customs, navigating new pathways, unravelling complex systems and learning how to integrate myself and make a home in an unfamiliar landscape. What I would usually take for granted as a simple task in my own home became enormously complex and confusing and required patience and acceptance of my own limitations. Over time and with perseverance I would begin to unravel mysteries and find solutions and make connections. After a while as things became more familiar and I adjusted to the sounds, the shapes and the colours in this new place, the wonderment would dissolve into acceptance. Recording these moments became a kind of remembrance of the ordinary and yet quite extraordinary every day experiences. To capture the essence of this wonderment I played with the recordings, altering the speed, layering the landscapes, enhancing the colours, holding the experience of wonder alive for a little bit longer. Thank you so much to the community of Kameoka and no-mu AIR (artists in residence) who gave me a rich and colourful insight and experience of Kameoka.
 

If any of these self initiated creative explorations have made your heart sing please consider making a contribution. Your support will help me continue creating art and music to nourish the soul. 

 
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