The Wash, Evolution?
Their ancestors had met near the strand-line for eight thousand years - ever since rising sea levels had swamped the vast forests and marshes that once stretched from here to mainland Europe. It had taken time, but The Wash had been a home for themselves and their children for generations.
And now the sea was rising once again. Tides were higher and storms more frequent, taking salt far in land, cracking the roots and stems of the more tender plants and sweeping many away. The sea was increasingly acidic and polluted too....
Commissioned by GroundWork Gallery, I created a collection of hybrid creatures and accompanying fable set in a not-too-distant future, responding to threats to the ecosystems and landscape of The Wash from climate breakdown, sea level rise and the proposed Wash Barrage.
The land/sea hybrid sculptures are made entirely from objects found on the beach - bladder wrack and pine needles, a sea urchin shell with hydroid and leaves. Each one is a story of an imagined future, when sea creatures and shore-dwellers gather to share their fears about their future. Weeping a farewell to those who have to leave - the seals and shore-birds - those left behind work together, seeking survival. It is though, a story about human actions and responses - and a call for compassion, co-operation and care.
Evolution? was first shared on the beach at Holme Dunes, Norfolk, in 2024, as part of "Ear of the Sea" with workshops and activities by five GroundWork NetWork artists.
with thanks to julia@neometa.art for the final image
