Friday 12 April 2019

Trevor Woodward, kangeroo & Artbarns 1999

Following a conversation at Art Circle yesterday... 
Below is an image of my drawing by Australian artist Trevor Woodward.  Beneath it is a similar drawing I found online.

I met Trevor Woodward whilst working on Artbarns in 1999 with Projects Environment (now guardians of the Merzbarn, Langdale).  

Trevor's installation for ArtBarns was at Swallow Scar Farm Barn, Slaidburn in Bowland. 
Trevor organised the items left in and around the barn then used them as his "canvas" to make the building and it's contents into a three dimensional "painting".  Trevor painted phonetically spelt words from the local dialect onto stones found on the site to place throughout his work.  This white text created a foil to the beautiful dots of colour he placed on the found items.  
The installation was site specific to the farm and to the area with the colours and their application an acknowledgement of Trevor's Australian roots.

Trevor used the same colour palette in my drawing, although my photograph doesn't do it justice.

I have very fond memories of ArtBarns not least of the beautiful places I visited and the amazing people I met but most of all it gave me a taste of running large international, site specific projects.  Taking a, think big  approach has influenced subsequent work I've instigated and undertaken.

Trevor's kangeroo is a reminder of that and is placed where I see it everyday.  


Trevor Woodward 1999
soft pastel on paper (29 x 20 in)

Trevor Woodward 1994  "Margaret River Kangeroo"
Trevor Woodward at Swallow Scar Farm Barn - ArtBarns 1999
Artbarns 1999
 "a celebration of the Merzbarn project by Kurt Schwitters and artists' responses to issues in agriculture and rural change:  a collaboration with the hill farming community in the Forest of Bowland."

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