Artists & Projects

Edwina fitzPatrick:
'the Art of Living'

Castlemilk Environment Trust commissioned the development of the art project the Art of Living by the London-based artist Edwina Fitzpatrick in November 2005. The Blood-Chlorophyll Labyrinth, a new permanent artwork, opened to the public on 25 May 2007 in Holmbyre Woods, Castlemilk on a site that links the Linn crematorium to the Carmunnock graveyard.

This large-scale project has been developed over an eighteen-month period and has deliberately used plantlife’s mutability and diversity to develop and enhance our sense of nurture for a place. This project has highlighted the existing features of woodlands and views over the surrounding area, increased bio-diversity, and reintroduced indigenous plantlife into the area.

In 2001 Edwina initially proposed using our own mortality as the starting point for the proposed work, because the woodland is sandwiched between two graveyards.

Mortality and death are still taboo subjects in our society. The Art of Living’s emphasis was very much about celebrating and reinforcing people’s sense of vitality.

The proposal took as its starting point the supposed ageing of plants as a metaphor for human life spans. Plants are seen to have fixed life spans according to whether they are annuals, biennials or perennials; just as certain groups in society are perceived to have longer/shorter time to live (MS sufferers and drugs users for example). Two plants can exist side by side — one being hundreds of years old, and the other being mature at a few months.

However, the inclusive nature of the project, and the fact the Castlemilk has significantly changed over the last few years has led to many changes to this initial idea.

Diary

November 2005—January 2006
Research: Meetings with local residents. Meetings with biodiversity experts at Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Natural History Society, Glasgow Botanical Gardens, and Edinburgh Botanical Gardens.

February 2006
Tipping in the woodland. Removal of cars that have been there for a decade.

March 2006
There are several streams which run through the wood, however they don’t take the routes that you might expect. Edwina asked a dowser to locate and map the many underground streams, so that she could plot new paths through the woodland, and understand what plants (if re-introduced) would thrive there.

April 2006
Recognising the dearth of allotments in Castlemilk, Edwina created the ‘Growing Space’ plant nursery for use by residents as a cross generational meeting space, and to encourage an interest in gardening, ecology and diversity - particularly among younger people. The ‘Growing Space’ is being used as a laboratory site to inspire ideas that directly informing the development of the permanent art-scape in Holmbyre Woods. The nursery is growing indigenous wild plants and flowers – some of which have already died out in Castlemilk. Most will be planted in Holmbyre Woods, the remainder will be distributed to local residents for their gardens. It is hoped that the Growing Space will become a local allotment on completion of the project.

July—August 2006
Working in the growing space and having BBQ’s. Edwina created a suggestions book to get feedback and generate ideas from the residents she met there or in the Holmbyre area.

September 2006
Edwina held an event for local residents in the growing space. It showcased the ideas that had already emerged in collaboration with local residents.

October 06—February 2007
Several proposals were eliminated with feedback from September’s event. This included a bridge cast in concrete with built-in tags/graffiti created by local residents during the event.

The most popular idea was a labyrinth. Building on the original mortality proposal, Edwina is now exploring what keeps us alive and creates growth. In trees this is chlorophyll through transforming light (with the help of water) into energy. This creates sap, which makes trees grow and forms the core wood. A similar thing happens in the human body with our blood. It carries oxygen, generates the bodies’ growth and repair, and builds our bones. The haemoglobin in our blood is identical to trees’ chlorophyll- the only difference is that the core of this molecule for us is iron, and for plants/trees it is magnesium.

Edwina wants to use this as a metaphor to explore the profound links that humans have with plant life. It seems that we, who have historically perceived ourselves above and apart from the plant world, have much in common.

She has created a design for a blood-chlorophyll labyrinth which will become the new entrance for the pathways into the woodland. It will be planted with wild flowers from the growing space to create living walls.

A labyrinth is a single path walked for contemplation. Unlike walking through woodland, it is impossible to get lost.

March—May 2007

Launch party of the Art of Living
Friday 25 May 2007, 2—4pm

Includes: Barbeque, Dowsing Workshops, Guided walks of the Woods

At entrance to Holmbyre Wood. Castlemilk, Glasgow G45 9QD
(Intersection of Blaeloch Drive and Holmbyre Road)

See maps.google.co.uk, ref G45 9QD

Friday 25 May 2007

The legacies of the Art of Living project include:
- The labyrinth as a cross-generational meeting space (previously there was nowhere to meet in the Holmbyre area of Castlemilk). It could be used for future social events and BBQ’s. - Native wild plants have been reintroduced to Holmbyre Wood and local gardens to increase biodiversity. - The Growing Space will become allotments for Castlemilk residents. - Now that Holmbyre wood is cleared of tipping, residents will use the woodlands more frequently. They form a link between Cathkin Braes and Linn Park, and could be used for Health Walks run by Castlemilk Environment Trust.

Commissioned on behalf of the Castlemilk Environment Trust, this project is the second to be completed as part of the Reputations Public Art Programme curated by Jason E. Bowman and Rachel Bradley, the team who were the curators for Scotland at the Venice Biennale 2005.

Reputations has been funded by the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Fund and Glasgow City Council’s Department of Culture and Leisure Services.

Information:
Matthew Finkle, Castlemilk Environment Trust
Tel: +44(0)141 6301919
matthewfinkle@btconnect.com

Media Contact:
Jean Cameron
Tel: +44 (0)141 552 5255
info@theartspractice.com

Links:
www.castlemilkenvironmenttrust.org.uk
www.stourvalleyarts.org
www.wimbledon.arts.ac.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/2004

Biography:
Edwina’s artworks involve plantlife and biodiversity, both as subjects in their own right and as metaphors.

Her practice is inclusive and collaborative – working with experts across a range of disciplines including science, horticulture, perfumery and music – as well as people who are experts in their own locality.The resulting work is presented in both galleries and on site.

Edwina fitzPatrick is Course Leader for the BA. Fine Art Course at Wimbledon College of Art.

Recent projects include:
The Orchid Collection (ongoing)
Arboreal Laboratory (exhibition and publications) for Stour Valley Arts.