Art on the Trail / Celf ar y Trwydd
Installation of Artists' Films
Sean Harris
Lynx Cave Dreaming (13:22)
2021
Lynx Cave Dreaming is about time, change and belonging.
John Blore excavated Lynx Cave, a limestone cave on the side of Bryn Alyn, Denbighshire, Wales in his spare time over a period of fifty three years. In the course of this remarkable and enduring endeavour he unearthed the bones of many Ice Age animals including reindeer, elk and lynx alongside human artefacts of similar age. Collectively, these tell a story of change, loss – and sometimes return – in this special landscape spanning nearly twelve thousand years.
Learning that he often slept in the cave prompted the question “what did you dream of, lying in there amidst the spirits of those past inhabitants?” This work was inspired by that question, his answer and a wider conversation with him about his relationship with both hill and cave.
John’s connection to the wider landscape of Bryn Alyn is if anything even deeper than the one with the cave given that, now in his eighties, he has been exploring the hill with the keen eyes and ears of a naturalist for the greater part of a century. He’s a part of it – and it him.
Lynx Cave Dreaming is a meditation on being ‘indigenous’, ‘knowing’ the land – and how we all belong to its geology; a fact borne out by the common isotopic signatures found both in our bones and those of the creatures past and present who have imbibed the waters which spring from it.
The soundtrack refers to ‘The Oldest Animals’, a fragment of the Tale of Culhwch and Olwen from Y Mabinogi.
Conceived, directed and animated by Sean Harris
Soundtrack composed and assembled by John Brook
Voice improvisation by Michael Harvey
With thanks to John Blore, Professor Danielle Schreve, Buxton Museum, Torquay Museum and the Wells and Mendip Museum.
Séan Vicary
Littoral Zone Study (6:49)
2024
Stop-Motion and Hand Drawn Animation
A reflection on 1,200-year-old limpets, found by the artist during a 6-week residency with Dyfed Archaeological Trust at an early medieval cemetery threatened by imminent coastal erosion at Porth Mawr, Sir Benfro.
Jacob Whittaker
Cylch Aberteifi (09.25)
This new work for the Festival of Light in Aberteifi is a combination of footage from several years working with images of the river Teifi and its tributaries.
Since 2020 I have been working with different astrological symbols and themes, changing in relation to the sun as it moves through each sign during the yearly cycle. The circle emerges as a symbol of interconnection and unity, leading to live performance and creativity as an expression of a moment in time and space.nOne of several iterations, the video is created through a live mixing process where video clips can be looped and layered in different configurations. Over time the layers repeat while the interactions between the images shift and change.
The astrological chart describes a moment in time and place and in this video describes the moment of creation of the improvised soundtrack with musician Elsa Davies. Based on a tune called Aberteifi and arranged by Elsa Davies it was created live on 19 November 19 here in Aberteifi with violin and modular synth.
Michelle Cain
Fox
Michelle is an artist who works with willow and is based in west Wales. Her sculptures are seen in large-scale festivals such as Glastonbury and Cambridge Folk Festival, and she makes smaller works for private collectors. Visit Michelle’s blog to find out more.
Gosodiad o Ffilmiau Artistiaid
Sean Harris
Lynx Cave Dreaming (13:22)
2021
Mae Lynx Cave Dreaming am amser, newid a pherthyn.
Cloddiodd John Blore Ogof Lyncs, sef ogof calchfaen ar ymyl Bryn Alyn, Sir Ddinbych, dros gyfnod o hanner cant a thair o flynyddoedd yn ei amser sbâr. Yn ystod yr ymdrech nodedig a pharhaus hwn dadorchuddiodd esgyrn nifer o anifeiliaid o’r Oes Iâ gan gynnwys ceirw, elc a lyncs ynghyd ag arteffactau dynol o’r un math o gyfnod. Gyda’i gilydd, mae’r straeon hyn yn dweud stori newid, colled – ac weithiau dychwelyd – yn y dirwedd arbennig yma dros gyfnod o bron i ddeuddeg mil o flynyddoedd.
Fe ddysgwn ei fod yn arfer cysgu yn yr ogof yn aml, ac fe sbardunodd gwybod hyn ofyn y cwestiwn, ‘Beth fyddet ti’n breuddwydio amdano, yn gorwedd ynghanol ysbrydion y trigolion o’r gorffennol?’ Ysbrydolwyd ei waith gan y cwestiwn hwn, a sgwrs ehangach gydag ef am ei berthynas gyda bryn ac ogof.
Mae cyswllt John i dirwedd ehangach Bryn Alyn wedi dyfnhau os rhywbeth na’r un gyda’r ogof o gofio, ei fod nawr yn ei wythdegau, iddo archwilio’r bryn gyda llygaid achlustiau craff naturiaethwr am bron i ganrif. Mae’n rhan ohoni – a hithau’n rhan ohono yntau. Myfyrdod yw Lynx Cave Dreaming ar beth yw bod yn ‘frodorol’, ‘adnabod’ y tir – a sut ydyn ni i gyd yn perthyn i’w ddaeareg; ffaith a welir yn y llofnodion isotopaidd
cyffredin a geir yn ein hesgyrn ni ac yn rhai creaduriaid y gorffennol a’r dyfodol a yfodd y dyfroedd sy’n tarddu ohoni.
Mae’r trac sain yn cyfeirio at ‘Yr Anifeiliaid hynaf’, rhan o Chwedl Culhwch ac Olwen o’r Mabinogi.
Crëwyd, cyfarwyddwyd ac animeiddiwyd gan Sean Harris
Cyfansoddwyd y trac sain a’i roi ynghyd gan John Brook
Byrfyfyrio llais gan Michael Harvey
Gyda diolch i John Blore, Athro Danielle Schreve, Amgueddfa Buxton, Amgueddfa
Torquay ac Amgueddfa Wells a Mendip.
Séan Vicary
Littoral Zone Study (6:49)
2024
Animeiddiad Symud Ysbeidiol a Wnaethpwyd â Llaw
Adlewyrchiad ar lygaid maharen 1,200 oed, a ganfuwyd gan yr artist yn ystod cyfnod preswyl 6 wythnos gydag Ymddiriedolaeth Archeolegol Dyfed mewn mynwent ganoloesol sydd dan fygythiad o erydu arfordirol yn Porth Mawr, Sir Benfro.
Jacob Whittaker
Cylch Aberteifi (09.25)
Dyma waith newydd ar gyda Gŵyl y Golau yn Aberteifi sy’n gyfuniad o ffilm o sawl blwyddyn o weithio gyda delweddau o afon Teifi a’i llednentydd.
Ers 2020 rydw i wedi bod yn gweithio gyda symbolau a themâu astrolegol gwahanol, sy’n newid mewn perthynas â’r haul wrth iddo symud drwy bob arwydd yn ystod cylch y flwyddyn. Mae’r cylch yn ymddangos fel symbol o rhyng-gysylltiad ac undeb, gan arwain at berfformiad a chreadigrwydd byw fel mynegiant o foment mewn amser a gofod. Mae’n un o’r nifer o ailadroddiadau, ac fe grëwyd y fideo drwy broses gymysgu byw pan fo clipiau fideo yn cael eu lwpio a’u haenu mewn patrymau gwahanol. Dros amser mae’r haenau’n ailadrodd tra bod ymatebion rhwng y delweddau’n symud a newid.
Mae’r siâr astrolegol yn disgrifio moment mewn amser a lle ac yn y fideo hwn mae’n disgrifio’r foment o greu’r trac sain byrfyfyr gyda’r cerddor Elsa Davies. Yn seiliedig at dôn o’r enw ‘Aberteifi’ ac wedi’i drefnu gan Elsa Davies fe’i crëwyd yn fyw ar 19 Tachwedd yn Aberteifi gyda ffidil a synth modiwlar.