So I was quite surpassed when my post about art or vandalism took off across social media like wild fire. I have been accused of everything from a knee jerk reaction to just desperate to get more people to my website. Well I am guilty of both counts and I don’t think I have ever tried to say otherwise.
However along with those reasons is another. A love for the outdoor and especially the place I call home, Snowdonia. This is my, so take it or leave it, if I feel that someone is doing something that I feel is destroying an ethos of the outdoors, the take only pictures and leave only footprints message so many organisations encourage us to use the outdoor by, then I may well fly off the handle.
What I have found really interesting is that whilst most people supported the concept that it was vandalism or at least ill conceived art. Who actually took the time to go up there after the event and see what mess was left.
I did and I videoed then scrubbing the wall clean of lichen and that chalk based paint. There was a rather bizarre idea of health and safety when it came to working at heights as well. When I ask whether it was a ill conceive and poorly thought through idea, one of the production team came down the rope for a talk.
It was an interesting talk, during which he used words to the effect it looks bad now but because of the social media frenzy we have had to clean it off. Basically they blamed me for them having to clean up there mess.
My concern that no one had actually thought through how they were going to get rid of the poem was highlighted by the mess they have made clearing it up. They started with a pressure washer, so when I went up there was a ‘negative’ cleaned imprint of the poem across the rock. I think the photos speak for themselves as to the damage they have done.
The representative I spoke to said he was going to visit the site every month to two weeks to see how the ‘damage’ is looking. I have asked him to send me the photos and I will try and get up there if the weather is nice during the winter. He also conceded that his three day show would have effects that stretch on for months in this valley, even if it is only a visual one.
I guess the victory for me was they are at least in voice standing up and taking responsibility for there actions. Although talk is cheap. Maybe they will think an idea through to its end in future.
the long periods of walking do dissipate the intensity and there is sometimes little to distinguish the show from a ramblers’ outing – Guardian
There production the Gathering, did not get a very positive review (Telegraph) ether. However the actual gathering, when the local farmers team up to clear each valley of its sheep, it an awesome site to behold. Forget one man and his dog, this is about what real working dogs can do. They can almost clear one side of the pass of sheep in 30 minutes and bring down to nant for sheering or later on in the year moving down to warmer less exposed pastures.
Having been bouldering when the mini-stampede of sheep make there way down the pass as the gathering rolls in. Their was little sense of artistry involved, more sense that the hard graft of agriculture made this possible, which if you have every laboured on a farm you will no why those farmers suppers are so big.
So in conclusion the show was ‘ambitious’, and the resultant mess is my fault and not that of the person(s) who scrawled it across the rock.