Another Place
There's something very poignant about these figures, each standing alone, gazing at the sea and mountains with unseeing eyes. Rust covers them like lichen. Some are part buried in the sand. Some are distant silhouettes. All are defenceless against the rising tide. The sea is just visible across the wide stretch of sky-reflecting sand. Gormley's work speaks of being embodied in both a primal and a post industrial way. Always specific to a place and its history, these iron men convey the hopes, dreams and disappointments of generations of migrants and of those who stayed. At a distance it's hard to tell who is iron and who is flesh. All seem equally part of the installation. There's over a hundred figures, spread across some miles of sand. They make me aware of my own fragility. I too am subject to tides, weather... |
Salt Marsh, Norfolk
Walking the coastal path here you are in a liminal world. There is earth, air and water, but not in their usual relationship. Where does the sea end and the land begin? It's as if the elements are refusing to stay still. Submerged towns and ancient henges could re-emerge. Dunes and marsh could vanish. |
Tynemouth
There are overlapping layers of history here. On the horizon, the ruins of the abbey, which once owned all the land along this stretch of coast. Out to sea, a line of ships waiting for high tide so they can enter the harbour and sail up the Tyne. On Cullercoats beach there are still traces of coal dust, from the mines that are now on the borderline between memory and history. The docks are silent; the engineering factories empty. Yet on the beaches life goes on. Children play in the icy water; windscreens erected, picnics unpacked. Sea air fills the lungs and even the coldest wind reawakens the weary soul. |
Fowey, CornwallCornwall enters your soul and never leaves. Heading out onto the coast path here you know Mandalay is not far away and that the second Mrs de Winter still walks the beach. The sea may be blue and placid but Cornwall is still a wild place. Mists can crawl across the horizon and engulf everything. Storms can sweep across the cliffs and send sudden torrents rushing down the valleys.
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