Times Are.......
This artwork intends to reflect the mood and atmosphere of the coastal landscape observed on early morning walks during the autumn and winter months. The environment is brisk and raw in appearance with impressive early morning skies often being striking and vivid in colour. Unwanted items washed in from the sea are strewn across the wild and stunning landscape.
Further inspiration comes from an unfinished poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins....
In the twilight of immense beauty, the world is changing. Hopkins expresses a sense of frustration and despair at being unable to improve the world, with the only alternative being to 'cleanse man's inner soul'
Times Are Nightfall
The times are nightfall, look, their light grows less;
The times are winter, watch, a world undone:
They waste, they wither worse; they as they run
Or bring more or more blazon man's distress.
And I not help. Nor word now of success:
All is from wreck, here, there, to rescue one -
Work which to see scarce so much as begun
Makes welcome death, does fear forgetfulness.
Or what else? There is your world within.
There rid the dragons, root out there the sin.
Your will is law in that small commonweal ......
Gerard Manley Hopkins - 1844-1889