Judy Dewsbery |
The Beacon _ Hastings |
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Tribute to
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A Tribute to Benny and Gus, the two sheep Simon and I got to replace the broken lawnmower. They evolved from timid year old lambs to sinister stalking creatures over the period of the year they spent in our garden, eating all our flowers, shrubs, vegetables and those of our neighbours as well. They revealed hidden character that we don't normally grant stock creatures we only see eating grass in fields. Benny and Gus were people orientated, would greet visitors (eventually nudging in a way that was bordering on headbutting) and peer in windows, especially at music events.They took every oportunity to enter the house and would jump into the open door of any car. They are now in a field near Wye, in Kent, but I have to thank them for providing the subject for a series of paintings and this mechanised sculpture. When I submitted the proposal I imagined that I would be commissioning Leigh Dyer to do the actual welding for me. When the time came, he was too busy working on the gates and fence of the Peace Garden, but was kind enough to lend me an arc welder, and encouraging enough to ensure that I did it myself. |
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I spent a day doing what, for me, was an exciting but terrifying piece of work, after which I asked Ziggy, a trained welder who happened to be painting the windows of the Beacon, to work with me on the difficult bits. Weldiing is an amazingly strong way of fixing things together and the experience has opened up an arena of possibilities. Matt Saint was at the Beacon for dinner one Sunday when I realised that he was THE person to make the sheep head move. I can still remember the moment. Matt is an electrical software designer, who said that he had always wanted to do someting like this. By discussing what was required along the way with the mock up models, and then the metal version, he came up with the satelite dish arm, ideal for the required slowness and range of movement. He suggested putting the LEDs in the hamster ball eyes, and the final distant 'baaa'. He brought the head into sinister life. |
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| I was so inspired by the whole experience that I have suggested putting a proposal together for an exhibiton of moving sculptures, maybe on the theme of 'Heath Robinson Moves Me'. I was invigilating Headspace with Lynne Bingham, who worked closely with George, her electrical engineer husband, on her exhibit, and we're thinking of applying for Arts Council funding for this as a project specifically for artists workiing with non-artist technical people. |  |
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