CAPTURING CWMYSTWYTH
Reactions to an atmospheric valley
My relationship with Cwmystwyth began through correspondence with Jan Zalasiewicz
after reading his book Planet in a Pebble.
My search for a ‘perfect pebble quickly became overtaken by my interest in the
disused mine workings and their surroundings. Reflecting on the history and
met personal reaction to the valley, I researched further and to my great
excitement I discovered the Cwmystwyth Met. Office station. Climate change
and weather are a constant in my practice so how could I resist all this
wonderful weather data?
CAPTURING CWMYSTWYTH
A series of 16 digital slides illustrating the industrial past of the valley.
ALONE WITH THE PAST
Alone with the past is a performance work using Semaphore. The information being
sent is an interpretation of my initial reaction when entering this atmospheric valley.
Investigating these thoughts and methods of communication, I transcribed the
extended words of my Semaphore performance into Morse Code.
WAS IT WET THAT YEAR?
Was it wet that year? is an ongoing piece of hand knitting using the monthly rainfall
data recorded by the Met. Office weather station located in Cwmystwyth. The
operational period was between January 1959 and March 2011. The work exhibited
here uses data for the period 1960-1969 and 2000-March 2011. This recorded rainfall
is scaled up to highlight the monthly variations.
I chose to knit in spirals thus alluding to the information held within a raindrop.
The wool used is Black Welsh Mountain and is spun to a specific for the work.
WHAT WENT BEFORE
What went before are a series of hand drawn Semaphore images. The words used
interpret my reaction to the valley.
CODED FEELINGS
To realise Coded Feelings I produced English and Welsh versions in needlepoint. The
scale is small and the thread colour represents an interpretation of colours within the
valley.
WALKING ON THOUGHTS
Morse Code was used to transcribe my thoughts on entering the valley and to contrast
the scale with Coded Feelings the information was transcribed into a rug. The
technique echoes home rug making which was especially popular during the 1960s.
