 |
| Mapperley, Nottingham, March 2013 |
It’s always tempting to
employ selective memory to make a point but, in 50 years, I genuinely can’t
remember a winter lingering as long as the last one. (Older readers will quote
1962 but I was a few months old so have no memory of it). Only now, with rather milder weather finally in
evidence, does it feel like spring might actually make itself known. The back–story of climate change and disrupted
weather patterns this all may highlight is unsettling enough but I think the
recent weather actually affected many people on a rather more immediate, emotional
level too. It’s no secret that light
levels and the tensions engendered by perpetual chill have a massive effect on
people’s moods and temperament.
 |
| Mapperley, Nottingham, March 2013 |
I appreciate that anyone
reading this in Scandinavia, Central Europe, Russia, North America, Canada,
etc. will wonder why the British would make so much fuss about cold winds and a
bit of snow in March. However, its more
a case of what you’re used to and also, on an animal level, the disquiet of
feeling one’s environment becoming noticeably less hospitable. Certainly, I’ve lost count of how often, in
the last few weeks, I heard people exclaim ‘I’m sick of feeling cold
ALL the time!” As a
nation we’re renowned for our obsession with weather and routine unpreparedness
for climatic events. This year, for hill
farmers, isolated communities and stranded motorists it all became just a
little more existential.
 |
| Mapperley, Nottingham, March 2013 |
Either way, there’s little we
can do about it other than to monitor events.
In fact, I guess I’ve always considered it part of an artist’s role to
bear witness and respond to events, without always chafing about an
inability to rectify them. In my
experience, any kind of creative response to a particular situation can be a great
sanity saver and all art therapists understand the value of externalising our frustrations and dissatisfactions to prevent them consuming one’s chances of future happiness.
 |
| Mapperley, Nottingham, March 2013 |
 |
| Keith |
Just before Easter, I spent a
weekend in Nottingham, looking after my surviving cat, Keith and watching in bemusement
as the spectacularly hilly suburb of Mapperley, and indeed the rest of the
city, gradually disappeared under a thick blanket of snow. The photos posted here were taken over those
two days.
 |
| Mapperley, Nottingham, March 2013 |
On the Saturday, the snow
fell unceasingly all day, three-dimensional forms became unified and then obliterated
by whiteness and the wider visual scene seemed intent on erasing itself
altogether. By Sunday the snow had
stopped falling and we even enjoyed a few minutes of pale sunshine. Despite biting wind and sub-zero
temperatures, families emerged with sledges and the whole mood felt slightly
less apocalyptic. On treacherous
pavements, I struggled as far as a local park and began exploring the
juxtaposition between the overwhelming white field and the darker shapes isolated
within it. Of particular interest were
the relationships between gleaming snow and the bright, industrial colours of
abandoned play equipment.
 |
| Mapperley, Nottingham, March 2013 |
Amongst the images are also a
couple of new examples of Hazard Warning stripes to feed my current
preoccupation with Health & Safety graphics. It feels like weather forecasting and Risk
Assessment may become increasingly entwined disciplines in coming years.
 |
| Mapperley, Nottingham, March 2013 |
Postscript:
Since beginning this post I've been able to turn down my central heating and even opened a window or two. Here's hoping we've finally turned a corner.
No comments:
Post a Comment