A Project by
Retreat
After the residency I created fabric inspired by the LIDAR (laser scanning) and Bathymetric Surveys (seabed scanning using sonar) of the marshes, the offshore islands at Keyhaven and Lymington and the sea on the other side of Hurst Spit. It shows the marshes and seabed in a very different light. When looked at like this the contours, inlets and bays of the marshes look like lungs, like the living system that they are. LIDAR and arial photography allow us to have a different view on way the shape of the marshes and mudflats are changing and eroding. Whilst I was on the marshes I had many conversations with people about how much larger the mudflats and marshes used to be and how the area is changing so fast, whilst the land seems to be in retreat from the sea, humans are in retreat from the land, loosing some of the traditional knowledge and memory of places, animals and plants.
I like to thank Lawrence Shaw Heritage Maping and Data Officer New Forest Park Authority for his extensive help and enthusiasm for the project, Frank Green Archaeologist with the NFPA and Stefan Keuppers. The work was created using NFPA and EA data available from http://environment.data.gov.uk
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Creatures from the Marshes; unseen and imagined
Alongside the birds, cows, horses, reptiles and fish there are many rare, unseen and hidden creatures in the Lymington Keyhaven marshes and mudflats. The tidal lagoons and intertidal zone provide many different habitats and environments suiting wonders like the Lagoon Sand Shrimp and the Starlet Sea Anemone. Taking this as inspiration With the help of Kristina Broughton, I invited visitors to create their own unseen and imagined creatures and descriptons of their habits and habitats.
Alternative Field Guide:
discoveries on Lymington and Keyhaven Saltmarshes
Whilst in residence I listened to visitors, watched the life on the reserve, drew, listened to the sounds of the reserve, read and researched stories, folklore and facts about several of the creatures, plants and birds that inhabit or pass through the marshes at Lymington and Keyhaven. These sketches and drawings are comming together to form an alternative field guide of histories, discoveries and new findings.
Alice Angus
An Alternative Field Guide and other Works from the Observatory Residency
Memories of the Marshes,
Drawing at the Observatory and
Harp music on at the Observatory
Among the other activities I asked people to add their memories adn experience of the marshes to a net of stories which then informed some of the places I visited an things I drew.
I ran a couple of workshops with some very talented students from A level and GCSE art and textiles at Arnewood School, they produced some lovley work whilst having the rare opportunity to work outside.
In my final week I asked local harpist Stephanie Liney to play a conccert of her own compositions and music inspired ny the sea and coastline. I had met Stephanie by chance when she was out walking on the Saltmarsh. Becuase of the shape of the Observatory and its wooden construction it captures and amplifies the sounds around it.
Film of the residency
A short film and interview about my residency, by Matt Dunkinson, highlighting the research and activities I undertook and things that inspired me.
You can see more of Alices work here.
Thanks
Alice would like thank Lymington and District Naturalists Society and Pete Durnell, for sharing so much of their specialist knowledge of the reserve, and also Aime Durnell, Jim Mitchell, Sally Mitchell, Stephanie Liney, Trina Hart, Cindy Milburn, Sandra Young, Adele Tyas, Jen Bridgenden, Rosie and Will Dorling, David Stevenson, Stewart Meecham, Bev Saunders, Oaklands School, Arnewood School art and textiles students, Lymington Cub Scouts group, Sarah Thelwall, Julie Penfold, Doma, Tashi Clara and the very many wonderful and generous people who came to visit and stayed to chat to me at the Observatory and contributed to my research, whose names I did not always get.