The Big Sheep
An Art at the Centre Big Draw Event Humphreys Hill The Big Sheep is a large line drawing in temporary biodegradable paint at the entrance to Sheppey, to be viewable from miles around. This is a voluntary participatory event, locals are invited to take part in this giant artwork, both during completion and afterwards.Drawing workshops run by professional artists will be held on the hill during the day. The idea was created by Local Queenborough School and nursery Pupils, Mille and Cian Graham as part of the Art at the Centre public art competition in 2008. This event realises their idea in large scale near where the Sheppey Crossing on to the Island for a temporary period, welcoming both the locals and new comers to the area. The idea celebrates local identity and pride, firmly putting the Isle of Sheppey on the map. The Big sheep was firstly printed out onto a gridded frame so that each 1m squared box could be drawn individually. Then for two days prior to the event, a team of volunteers helped mark out the grid on the ground using measuring tape and wooden stakes. The paint rollers and paint was supplied by the local rugby club. As well as inviting individuals to push the line painters around the drawing, there were drawing workshops in which young people were encouraged to look at the natural environment, and draw it using pencils. This activity was run throughout the day by local artists, alongside the large drawing, so that everyone could do something creative, regardless of their abilities. To support the drawing activities the Caravan Gallery were invited to come and display the photographs they had taken on the Island, the previous month as part of a residency they were commission to do as part of the SEA Change project (run by Swale Borough Council). The Caravan Gallery have gained national press attention with their ongoing project to document Britain, as it is, especially seaside and coastal resorts. These images have been translated into a series of critically acclaimed art books called ‘Is Britain Great?’ the latest edition having been launched on the 6th November (see www.thecaravangallery.co.uk for more info).
The invite |
There was a small party from around 4pm
onwards, where alongside drinks and nibbles Art at the Centre
had a stall besides the Caravan Gallery were the new ‘Tattoo
Show’ art book was launched as a conclusion to an earlier
drawing project run in the Castle Gallery earlier in the year
(see copies enclosed in envelope). Visitors and participants
were invited to take a copy of the booklet containing many local
artists’ drawings and their text explaining the thoughts behind
their work. The Big Sheep drawing was like a temporary tattoo
onto the land, and thus provided a great platform within which
to launch the ‘Tattoo Show’ booklet.
Alongside this Local Councillor Ken Pugh brought images of a proposal for a permanent public artwork to be commissioned for the first round about onto the Island (which also contained sheep imagery). The public were invited to have a look at the proposals as part of an informal consultation process, on this potential public artwork. The Big Draw Campaign (www.thebigdraw.org.uk)
Photographs by Tony The Big Draw is a month-long season of participatory activities for people of all ages and abilities. Over 1000 events will use drawing, painting and other creative media to engage participants with museum and gallery collections, historic sites – and each other – in new and enjoyable ways. Big Draw events encourage everyone to expand the boundaries of drawing by experimenting with pencils, paint, charcoal, sand, clay, digital imagery, choreographed movement, vapour trails and much more.
The History of Hill Drawing A hill figure is a large visual representation created by cutting into a steep hillside and revealing the underlying geology. It is a type of geoglyph usually designed to be seen from afar rather than above. In some cases trenches are dug and rubble made from material brighter than the natural bedrock is placed into them. The new material is often chalk, a soft and white form of limestone, leading to the alternative name of chalk figure for this form of art. Hill figures are common in England: examples include the Cerne Abbas giant, the Uffington White Horse, the Long Man of Wilmington, various badges of military units as well as the "lost" carvings at Cambridge, Oxford and Plymouth Hoe. Gigantotomy is the art of carving human-shaped hill figures, gigantic figures visible in chalk or other light-coloured material. Located in upland areas of England, they are traditionally created by removing a layer of soil and turf so that the underlying layer of bright chalk is visible as a type of geoglyph designed to be seen from afar as a human figure. Leucippotomy is the art of carving white horses in chalk upland areas, particularly as practiced in southern England. The practice is apparently of prehistoric origin; the Uffington White Horse has been dated to between 600 and 1400 BCE
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