Thinking through the Night
This piece was developed for my solo exhibition Dark Reflections in the North York Moors in 2022. This exhibition was the result of my North York Moors Dark Skies Residency.
At my exhibition, I had a pile of self addressed and stamped envelopes with instructions and a postcard inside. The audience was invited to take one, after visiting my piece Ascending.
The instructions stated:
On a clear night gaze up into the stars and planets and think about our place within the solar system. Think about the vast distances between the planets in our solar system and the immense periods of time that they have orbited our star. Think about the rotation of Earth and the age of the ground beneath you and how its elements were formed. Think about the geologic time periods it has taken to create the oceans, mountains and forests across our planet and those life forms that we share these spaces with.
Look into our galaxy and beyond. What do you think about when you look into the night sky? Write down your feelings on the postcard.
This was particularly fitting because the North York Moors is a designated Dark Sky area. The participants posted the envelopes back to Inspired by… gallery where they were displayed on the wall anonymously. Every postcard was more moving than the next.
