On what was originally hailed as the hottest day or the year Dr Fred and I headed to Upper Teesdale to investigate a new temporary art installation by Steve Messam called Hush.
We had a lunch/breakfast at the Bowlees cafe to gather some calories to consequently sweat off as we head up first through the forest and then across the fields to a wee valley festooned with yellow flags.
A 'hush' is a mining term. When miners found interesting minerals in the hillsides they would make an artificial dam across the top and collect water and then release it so all the soils would be washed away - this was called hushing. It leave a channel cut into the hillside and Messams idea was to celebrate the mining community, nature and how it can be used as a contemporary art form.
The flags certainly stand out, as you come over the hill from the cafe they are evident from quite a distance. Up close you can see the simplicity of the installation, over 5 kilometers of yellow fabric strung across the cutting - a little like prayer flags in the Buddhist mountains but on a much larger scale.
We walked up the side of of the gorge looking down on the giant sails fluttering in the welcome breeze - I was undecided about the whole thing. Its an interesting concept but at this point it didn't quite hook me in, it was a little reminiscent of someones washing hung out and the high winds the previous day had mussed it up, so in places I felt it looked decidedly messy - many of the lengths blown to one side of the wire. This may have been intentional but it didn't work for me personally....
I liked the way the breeze was blowing the material up the hill and the sound it made and it seemed to me it was in juxtaposition with the water flowing down the hill and the noise that would have made...
The heat made climbing to the top of the ridge quite hard going but it was worth it to look down along the installation and see it in its 370 metre long glory- yellow ripples against the green hills and blue sky - I liked it better... we scrambled down into the cutting and started a slow descent down walking under the flags, they looked much larger from this perspective and the noise from them flapping in the wind was a comforting sound - they looked pretty fab against the immense blue sky - I felt the art had come into its own... about halfway down we met the artist doing some minor repairs and tidying up - I asked him why yellow? and he said what other colour could you possible use - it worked so well withe natures original colours and he was right...
I liked very much being under the flags walking down with the shadows and fluttering noises and less people - if you go and its worth a walk up there do try to walk down in the cutting its a very soothing experience - its a lovely walk anyway and this just adds a little more interest - if you miss the installation the natural views themselves are stunning.
http://www.northpennines.org.uk/hush/
A 'hush' is a mining term. When miners found interesting minerals in the hillsides they would make an artificial dam across the top and collect water and then release it so all the soils would be washed away - this was called hushing. It leave a channel cut into the hillside and Messams idea was to celebrate the mining community, nature and how it can be used as a contemporary art form.
 |
| long distance view |
The flags certainly stand out, as you come over the hill from the cafe they are evident from quite a distance. Up close you can see the simplicity of the installation, over 5 kilometers of yellow fabric strung across the cutting - a little like prayer flags in the Buddhist mountains but on a much larger scale.
 |
| from above the gorge |
We walked up the side of of the gorge looking down on the giant sails fluttering in the welcome breeze - I was undecided about the whole thing. Its an interesting concept but at this point it didn't quite hook me in, it was a little reminiscent of someones washing hung out and the high winds the previous day had mussed it up, so in places I felt it looked decidedly messy - many of the lengths blown to one side of the wire. This may have been intentional but it didn't work for me personally....
 |
| thats me in the distance.. |
I liked the way the breeze was blowing the material up the hill and the sound it made and it seemed to me it was in juxtaposition with the water flowing down the hill and the noise that would have made...
The heat made climbing to the top of the ridge quite hard going but it was worth it to look down along the installation and see it in its 370 metre long glory- yellow ripples against the green hills and blue sky - I liked it better... we scrambled down into the cutting and started a slow descent down walking under the flags, they looked much larger from this perspective and the noise from them flapping in the wind was a comforting sound - they looked pretty fab against the immense blue sky - I felt the art had come into its own... about halfway down we met the artist doing some minor repairs and tidying up - I asked him why yellow? and he said what other colour could you possible use - it worked so well withe natures original colours and he was right...
 |
| walking under the sails |
I liked very much being under the flags walking down with the shadows and fluttering noises and less people - if you go and its worth a walk up there do try to walk down in the cutting its a very soothing experience - its a lovely walk anyway and this just adds a little more interest - if you miss the installation the natural views themselves are stunning.
http://www.northpennines.org.uk/hush/
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