countsandnuonces: 2009

Sunday 13 December 2009

OK, so I am finally back from St Ives after spending an inordinate number of hours on the train this weekend. The show at John Knill House looks good thanks to Phil and Sally, co curators extraordinaire and I was pleased with the show as a whole as well as my works contained within it. There was a steady flow on the night of the private view as well as on the first day, and I enjoyed listening to the extraordinary stories of famous characters past that had lived there. As well as Nocker who didn't wear any clothes other than a dress on the odd occasion, I was taken aback to see on the return journey the biggest owl I have ever seen sitting casually on some scaffolding erected outside a house just outside St Erth. I had previously that night dreamt about an owl on a pole seen from my bicycle whilst cycling at night and had written it down that morning in my journal. My dream also contained an animal leg and the owl fixed horizontally to the pole, so I can only hope that the real owl seen didn't succumb to the same fate.

Saturday 14 November 2009

Nil Desperandum

I have so far created a number of new images for 'Nil Desperandum', a show at Knill House, St Ives, Cornwall. These works are still to be completed and then collaged. i am working to the following text.

"Amongst the bequests are no less than fifty - six gold rmgs, of five guineas each, distributed on neai'ly equal ntimbers to friends and relations. Those intended for the ladies are mounted with a small plait of hair surrounded by twelve pearls, whilst those for gentlemen had a similar de\dce sur-rounded by twelve small diamonds. A handsome annuity was also settled on the faithful servant who kept his chambers".

John Knill was a Collector of Customs, Mayor and Customs Officer, Magistrate, Treasure and smuggler. He had a mausoleum built to house his body which remains to this day in St Ives and the town celebrates every five years in spending £25 on distinct ceremonies to celebrate his life.