Scheme launched to reward areas' gates
HAVE you checked to see if the rusty old gate at the bottom of your garden is a work of art?
Strange as it may sound, a Lancaster group of artists has launched a scheme to reward the colourful, innovative and downright ingenious gates across the area.
Suzy and partner Alan Jones, collectively known as Jones2, are working on the project in the Lancaster district which celebrates the ability to use anything to hand to solve a problem, to fix something broken or to create something beautiful.
They are documenting this unsung craft by searching out examples of gate mechanisms made from bungee cord and Wellingtons, or gates held shut with ingenious contraptions and fences built from bits of old cars or wooden crates. They will be awarding the most creative of these constructions with gold, silver and silver guilt awards.
Suzy explained: "It all started during a camping trip with friends when someone pointed out a gate being held shut with a twig.
"We went back several times to see it still being held shut with this twig. We thought it was ingenious.
"There is such a sense of health and safety everywhere nowadays and that everything has to be done by the book.
"As artists we liked the idea that human beings have this inbuilt ability to fix things with whatever is closest to hand."
The project is part of FRED 2008, a nationally recognised event bringing contemporary public art to rural areas.
FRED aims to encourage people to think about and appreciate their rural surroundings, as well as encouraging both locals and visitors to explore the rural areas of the district in new ways.
It originally began in Cumbria but has spread across into Northumberland, Scotland and now Lancaster and Morecambe.
The awards from Jones2 will be installed next to each gate, bridge or stile for a period of two weeks during the FRED event which starts tomorrow, Saturday.
The project is supported by Lancaster University and Lancaster City Council has contributed 418 to cover the Jones2 project's production costs.
For more info see www.fredsblog.co.uk.
* If you know of any interesting examples which you would like to nominate for the project contact Jones2 by emailing jonesquared@gmail.com or calling 01524 32687.
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Weather for Lancaster
Saturday 04 February 2012
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