Dearne Valley Horse

Description

A project started at the beginning of the Covid lockdowns in 2020. I started to observe horses in a nearby field where I live. I wanted to create a new piece of work that resonated with my local lockdown experiences and the importance of nature to me. I wanted to create work connected to an animal to help explore emotion and I couldn’t think of anything better that symbolised a graceful strength and hope than the horses in the nearby fields.

The fields look towards Broomhill Flash and have a timeless quality, made from the presence of the rivers Dearne and Dove which join here, the ‘flash’ attracts large numbers of birds and the presence of horses that graze in these fields. The horses add a great deal to the landscape, they have a peaceful but strong quality to them that is unaffected by their circumstances. Typically when we have heavy rain these fields flood and the horses simply move to the areas of highest ground and wait for the waters to recede. For me this behaviour metaphorically connected with the way we were feeling during the lockdowns, affected by circumstances out of our control and mentally and physically having to move to another part of our field waiting for waters to recede.

Click below links to read my two extended journals about developing the Dearne Vallery Horse.

Between Grass and Sky

Developing the Dearne Valley Horse