This multi-media exhibition is the result of three years’ fieldwork. Kate has travelled the West Country visiting sheep farmers, craftspeople and artisans from the Mendips to Exmoor, and from the Somerset Levels to the sea.
“I’ve been lambing in spring, shearing in summer, I’ve been to market in autumn and milking the ewes in the parlour, then I’ve followed the story of the wool“. The resulting collection of expressive oil paintings and charcoal drawings captures one of the oldest relationships between farmer and animal and forms a fascinating picture of rural life today.
“A lot of shepherding is down to observation, knowing the signals, when a ewe’s about to start giving birth, there are lots of signs, like lying down and the head going up in the air, and sort of baring their teeth, when the top lip comes back, and nibbling at imaginary things, all sorts of subtle signs.”
Rob Walrond, Farmer
In the galleries Kate’s paintings and drawings will be accompanied by a sound piece designed by Alastair Goolden who has recorded the ambient noise of the various activities as well as the voices of those involved in the trades. The pictures and atmospheric sounds will take the audience on a multi sensory journey into the pastures, farms, parlours and workshops.
“I don’t use a harness, it’s quite hard physically, but it depends on how you do it, I try to minimise the energy, try to relax and I think a sheep senses that. It’s like any animal if you force it to do something it’s not going to like it, so try to get as relaxed as you can.”
Adrian Reiersen, Sheep Shearer
This universally appealing project commemorates the West Country’s living sheep farming heritage. From the shepherds raddling rams, lambing and shearing, the story continues at the market auctions, with the sheepdog trainers, the butchers and cheesemakers, the tannery and in the workshops of spinners, weavers, felt makers and knitters and offers a unique ‘behind the scene’ document.
As the narrative unfolds we go to the wool grading depot, the scouring and spinning mill, the carpet weaving factory, and then into the studios and living rooms of the hand-spinner, peg-loom weaver, feltmaker and knitter, each telling their story along the way.
A full-colour book “Sheep – From Lamb to Loom” by Kate Lynch is published in March 2009 and will be available from the galleries, bookshops and this web site. The book includes journal entries and extracts from interviews with sheep farmers and artisans featured in the project.
The exhibition will tour the following venues in 2009: |
