Internationally recognised artist makes stunning new addition to 55-acre cosmic site
World renowned landscape artist Charles Jencks is preparing to officially unveil his latest creation, a new mosaic, in the heart of the Crawick Multiverse.
The incredible 55-acre artland, in Dumfries and Galloway, was revealed to the public on last year’s summer solstice – and the new addition has been completed as it prepares to mark its first birthday with an even bigger festival of the solstice later this month.
The Crawick Multiverse is a world-class artland inspired by discoveries in cutting edge cosmology.
One of the most striking features of the site is its Sun amphitheatre, and the mosaic, has been created as the amphitheatre’s new centrepiece. Entitled Sun Flare – Earth Shield, it represents the ‘dance of life and death’ between solar flares and the protective rotation/electromagnetism of the Earth.
Discussing the theme for the mosaic, Charles Jencks said: “Solar wind can be a killer, as it was for Mars, and the occasional Solar Flare could rip through our atmosphere destroying it instantly, if it weren’t for our magnetic shield. This shield is in the shape of a double donut. Such invisible magnetism surrounds the earth, channelling the killer particles to the north and south poles as the aurora borealis, turning them into a stunning atmospheric dance we can see on certain nights.
“Solar flares plus earth shield equals visual beauty. The sun is less a warrior god and more a tender woman who pulls the earth along in warming, changing wave-forms.”
Charles Jencks will reveal the installation during a three day summer solstice celebration of science, art and music on June 24, 25 and 26. In line with the inspiration for the mosaic, the three day festival’s celebration theme is the relationship between the earth and the sun.
The festival begins on the evening of Friday, June 24, with an exhibition in Merz Studios in Sanquhar’s old lemonade factory. This fantastic collaborative exhibition hosted by A’ the Airts is entitled Landscape of Waves and features the work of Charles Jencks and artist, designer and performer Alex Rigg of acclaimed theatrical dance company Oceanallover.
The artists collaborated this time last year at the grand opening event of the Crawick Multiverse, and this new exhibition will see their work coming together yet again. Charles Jencks will show painting and sculpture that reveal how the landscape and skyscape are made up of waveforms. Meanwhile Alex Rigg will present costume created in response to the site and give an insight into his approach for making performance and design.
The final day of the celebrations will see the artists’ work meet yet again when Oceanallover takes to the site with the performance ‘Not to Scale’, which explores form and movement derived from microbes, bacteria and insects too small for the eye to see alongside giant structures of human construction.
The performances are part of a wider celebration of the arts at the Crawick Multiverse which will see regional schools, artists and community groups coming together to participate and showcase their own artistic creations. Principals from Riding of the Marches will also feature on the day. This not-to-be-missed event has something for everyone, from the art enthusiast to families looking for an unforgettable day out.
It is during Sunday’s festivities that Charles Jencks’ new mosaic will be officially unveiled, and the celebratory event culminates in the Collision of the Galaxies / Burning of the Multiverse which will be represented through a fire display and a musical performance. There will also be a performance by Claire Egan, opera singer, singing the famous firework aria by Queen of the Night from Mozart’s Die Zauberflote.
Doug Wilson, Regional Director for VisitScotland, said: “The Crawick Multiverse artland offers a unique and exciting experience for visitors to Dumfries & Galloway. Its launch one year ago demonstrated a real commitment to further enhancing our region’s tourism offering and attracting more visitors to the region. This year’s Summer Solstice Festival offers visitors the ideal opportunity to visit the pioneering tourist attraction in the year that we are celebrating Scotland’s innovation, architecture and design.”
