The Weight of Things at Castle Croft, National Trust, as part of the show 'All Alone' by Meadow Arts
Gently hovering above the waters of the pool by the Lime Kiln, David Bethell’s sculpture The Weight of Things evokes a feeling of being out of place and somehow adrift. Where has it come from? What is it doing there? Has it been detached from its natural habitat? Perhaps a rocky outcrop further up the valley, or maybe hacked from the nearby quarry? Defying gravity and the laws of nature, the rock inhabits its own dimension, where it cuts a lonely figure within the landscape.
Its primary quality, its weight, is invalidated by its lonely hovering; it is destined to wander, “lonely as a cloud” (to quote Wordsworth) above the waters that would engulf it. Conversely, the hovering rock could be seen as freed from the weight of its destiny, magically singled out as a symbol of hope. At this moment in time, the rock is trapped between waiting to crash or carry on floating, maybe about to take flight even further.
24 July to 31 October 2021
Artists: Adam Chodzko, David Bethell, Edie Jo Murray, ...kruse, Simon Roberts
Meadow Arts returns to Croft Castle to take up residence in the very special landscape of Fishpool Valley. This is a place with a spirit of its own, a set of qualities that makes it a favourite destination for many visitors and also those lucky enough to live nearby.
All Alone unfolds on two levels, an outdoor exhibition with sculpture and installations, and an ambitious online component that holds the digital elements of some of the artworks in the valley, as well as artists’ films.
Through the work of five artists, All Alone proposes a creative re-examination of the human condition of aloneness, a topic that has known many interpretations over the centuries, but has recently, through the Covid-19 crisis, been brought sharply to the forefront of our collective consciousness. Beyond the physical pressures of being isolated, lockdown is/was a communal experience, but each individual experience is unique, which is isolating in itself. The title, All Alone, reflects on the paradoxical commonality of aloneness.
Aloneness could be best defined by its two opposite poles; on one end of the spectrum is isolation, a state mostly enforced on an individual, and on the other solitude, which might be the result of choice and has a more positive aspect. Loneliness is a relatively recent concept, although almost nine million people in Britain today define themselves as ‘lonely’, according to the Campaign to End Loneliness.
The project aims to start conversations around aloneness; accompanying events include workshops, tours, artists’ talks and projects with local communities and groups. There are opportunities to interact with the artworks, the artists and the wider community