The Elephant and Mahout

Richard Bell approached us almost two years ago asking if we could help bring back from the depths of local history a Victorian marvel that had been lost.  Richard is a direct descendent of a man called Henry Senior who was responsible for a truly magical place that was a house and cloisters carved entirely out of sand stone in a quarry around the 1850’s onwards.  It became known as the Sand House and had solid stone walls that were millions of years old; sculptors came from the local area to make contemporary sculptures that reflected the Victorian Imperial era.  The Sand House became renowned in the area for its parties, it had a ballroom that could accommodate 200 people and I even met an elderly lady a few days ago that related how her Grandmother used to enjoy going there for Tea Dances.  One of the most notable sculptures made was an Elephant and Mahout made around 1860, indicative of Britain’s relationship with India at the time.

Once Henry passed away, the house was bequeathed to the council and after some time ran into disrepair.  In the 1930’s the council made an order to use the site for landfill, the Sand House and the Cloisters became buried and disappeared into history.

The legend of the Sand House was fuelled in the 1950’s as there was talk of some children playing in tunnels where there were sculptures of King and Queens, Elephants and Clowns.

In the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s there was a glimmer of hope as the Sand House was rediscovered due to construction that took place above, however the result was to stabilise the tunnels by filling them in with concrete. The Sand House was lost.

In the true spirit of Henry Senior, Richard Bell who is his Great, Great, Grandson did not accept this. Just before the tunnels were finally filled in he went into them to see what his ancestor had made.  Richard became so inspired that he decided to rekindle the Sand House in peoples imaginations by writing a book supported by photographs of the time.

After great success he then approached us and asked if we would make one of the sculptures to scale that was in the house in sand.  We decided to make the Elephant and the Mahout.

Richard then spent over a year securing funding with Arts Council England and organising the event, and I am pleased to say that he was successful in bringing the magic back.

Compacting the sand in the Point Gallery, Jamie and Sparrow shovelling

We spent two days heaving 40 tonnes of sand into an indoor exhibition space making sure we did not damage the lip in the doorway with the forklift truck.  I then embarked on making the Elephant and the Mahout.  This is a relatively simple sculpture that I found quite difficult as I had to fight my intuition and replicate what I saw on the few old photographs, embracing bendy arms and an impression of what an Elephant was rather than an actual Elephant.  You see, it is unlikely that the original sculptor of the 1860’s ever actually saw a real elephant and that perhaps he was working from a publication or drawing.  Still, the result is a very impressive and charming sculpture that represents a marvellous period in history.

So after 10 days there now stands in The Point Gallery Doncaster a 35 tonne Elephant and Mahout replica of the sculpture as it stood 100 years ago according to photographs, even with the Mahout’s broken nose.

When I was carving the sculpture an elderly man came in to deliver some wood and looked up a little stricken.  “’Av seen that before!”  I looked down at him knowing that the site was filled in in around 1930.

“You’ve seen this before?”

“Aye, when I was a boy me and m’ Pals used to play int’ tunnels of the Sand House and I remember the Elephant man!”

The Elephant and the Mahout

In addition to this Sand In Your Eye also conducted a five day course in making sand sculptures for five artists from across the nation. Each artist as a result made a sand sculpture to stand along side the Elephant and Mahout and were able to explore the concepts associated with the Sand House as well as develop their skills in sculpture.  A week later we then taught three days of workshops to local children to educate them in the story of the Sand House and to pass on a few sandy skills!

The exhibition runs until 29^th June 2012.

Many thanks to:

Andy Moss

Richard Bell

Nicholas Braine

Finn Varney

And to those on the Artists workshops:

Arun Aggarwal

Gimara Duncan

Mandy Keating

Leon Clemitshaw

Angela Howell

The Point gallery staff for looking after us and being so understanding about having sand everywhere!

http://thesandhouse.org.uk/

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/

http://www.thepoint.org.uk/the-point/exhibition

I had just been working in the ice hotel in Kemi Finland and had vowed to spending 3 days even further north just below the arctic circle to make a snow sculpture animation with the help of some friends Milja Kaukorinne and Kriistina Levänen

Whilst on the train up to Rovenemi I had no idea what we were going to make.  We had before in England made Light Sculptures, and then I had experimented with a moving orb of light in the streets of Manchester with Kim Rowley called Billy the Ball of Light.  I had a vision of balls of light playing in the forest, a simple game of catch.  But where would the snow sculpture come in?

Billy the Ball of Light

In October a publishing firm had sent me a proof of a book called the Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, it had not been published at the time and I found it quite magical and was very lucky to read it before anyone else.  This led to me writing my own story about an Angel that Had No Wings, and this became the theme for an Ice Sculpture Trail in Bradford.  So it dawned on me that this girl would want to play with the Lights that I think are just simply Life, the sparkle of Life that is within us all that just wants to play.  But as with many things that sparkle is often shy and they run away from the girl.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

So the story became that the balls of Life were playing in the forest but then run away because they hear something approaching.  It is the girl made out of snow.  She runs to try and find them but they are too fast.  She then comes back to the spot where they were playing and crouches down to cry.  But one small ball of light is brave and compassionate, he comes to see this snow girl, he circles her and senses that her spirit is true.  So he kisses her.  And then they begin to play.

As I think on this the Bright White Landscape of mid day arctic Finland passes by the window of the train.  We have only three days to make this!

I met Milja in the train station and relayed the idea born on the journey to her.  Kriistina then arrived and I did the same.  “This is very ambitious Jamie!”

Balls of Light

“I know, but I think we can do it, we just need some help.” And help we got, I cannot thank enough the students of The University of Lapland that helped to make the film, conscripted into action because they sat down at the same table with us, said Hello in the street, or worked with me in the Ice Hotel some days earlier.  You were amazing!  Waving lights around until 11:30 pm in a forest that was -27 degrees!  And then the next day making 23 girls out of slush, water and snow in the street whilst people passed by watching our crèche grow.  This was extremely tiring, as anyone who works in the cold knows, we were working flat out.

The 23 snow sculptures that were the slides for the animated girl

And I was not immune myself.  During the three days I had the advantage of being driven by the thing that can spur a person on beyond exhaustion, and that is an idea.  But once the last frame of the film was clicked on the camera and the idea was secured my being collapsed.  It was 2am in the morning by this stage and it was only Milja and myself that was left in the dark cold forest.  I actually found it hard even to find the energy to speak.  Milja and I walked home in silence pushing back the wheelie bin that we had ‘borrowed’ to help move the 23 snow sculptures, smiles occasionally cracking over our faces.

Jamie and Milja Kaukorinne at 2:30am, all finished!

When I finally got into bed I had that quite rare feeling of a totally exhausted mind and body being warmed from the inside by a glow kindled by making and starting something rather special.  Just over the way was Mija still energised and indefatigable.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank Milha as her support was incredible and if it wasn’t for her enthusiasm and willingness to let use her house as HQ, then this would not have happened.  I fell asleep with a soft smile on my face that night.

……unfortunately, I had to wake up two hours later to get a taxi to the airport.

Thank you also to Linus for making the edit and the following people who helped animate the film in the forest as well as prepare the snow sculptures, as well as the Finnish band RuoTo for letting us use their enchanting track Kuuralaulu
Senni Pöyry
Jatta Vuorinen
Noora Hattunen
Milja Kaukorinne
Kristiina Levänen
Paul
Beth Walsh
Ester Dorsman
Lou Campbell

Amazing folk from the university of Lapland that helped out!

Jamie

Alvin Simon and Theodore with the sand drawing

I came back from Germany on Wednesday to take part in a Sand drawing for the new Chipmunks 3 DVD called Chipwrecked on the Friday.  I say take part as Andy Moss who goes by many names, ‘The Mexican’ to ‘Moscachino’ was the sole director of this event for Sandinyoureye.

Andy Moss with James Haigh

Anyone who has project managed events will know that there is much more to it than just turning up on the day and drawing in the sand or making a sculpture.  You have to think of every eventuality before it arises, plan and prepare accordingly, liaise with the client and location managers, design the actual art piece,  and then deal with the things that you haven’t thought of on the day.  This is no easy task.  But Mr Moss did us proud and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him for a job very well done!  There is a picture of a 45 meter tall chipmunk called Alvin below Blackpool tower to prove it!

Jamie

And the sea finally takes the image

Never turn your back on a chipmunk

Alvin Simon and Theadore, and some helpers!

On the 14^th January a small team from Sandinyoureye ventured to Filey on a gloriously cold crisp winters day to make a test sand drawing for our summer Fallen project which has an open invitation.  Please watch this short film by Finn Varney:

The idea is to create a visual representation of what is otherwise unimaginable:   The thousands of Human Lives Lost during the hours of the tide during the WWII Normandy landings on the 6^th June 1944.  It does not propose to be a celebration or condemnation, simply a statement of fact and tribute to life and its premature loss.

7,500 silhouettes of German Forces, Civilians and Allies will be drawn on the beach at the rate in which they died, only to be erased totally by the incoming tide as their own lives were.  There will be no distinction between nationalities, they will be known only as The Fallen.

Profoundly, the rate at which we will be drawing will also be equal to the loss of life per hour throughout the entire duration of the war.

Participation

If you wish to join in this project on the 6^th June in northern France then please let us know.  Everything will be self-funded although we may share costs of travel.  Together we will make something that will be very special. Please contact moss@sandinyoureye.co.uk We will need approximately 150 people, this may individuals, a group or a school.

There was once a little girl called Spirit.

She was on orphan which meant she had no parents, and she had very little to give apart from her kindness which to some is everything.

One winter day she saw a young Robin Red Breast who had no food.  So she shared her last piece of bread with him and they ate happily together.

Spirit and the Robin Red Breast

Whilst walking along a frozen lake, Spirit saw a fawn fall through the ice. A fawn is a baby reindeer.  Spirit slid across the ice and pulled the fawn out.  It was very cold and its nose had gone red so she took it to her friend Father Christmas who would take care of it.

Spirit and the fawn

Father Christmas was very happy to look after the reindeer and gave it a very special name that I am sure you all know. He was always happy to see Spirit as every time he saw her she gave him a present.  On this occasion she had given him his best friend.

Spirit giving Father Christmas his best friend

On her way home it began to get warm.  She saw her friend the Snowman but he was crying tears because he was melting.  Spirit made a coat of icicles to keep him cold until the coming of the night.  The snowman stopped crying and began to smile again.  Spirit had made him very happy.

Helping the snowman keep cold

There was an old lady who lived on the hill.  She was lonely in the dark winter nights because she had nobody to talk to.  Spirit and the snowman decided to fill her with joy by standing on her doorstep singing carols.  The old lady was so overjoyed that she began to sing too.

Spirit and the Snowman carol singing

Spirit loved Christmas and she woke to find a single present sitting at her feet.  Inside the paper she could feel that it was very soft and light.  She was very excited but managed to peel back the paper slowly so that she didn’t damage the present within.  When she looked the gift was white and made of feathers.  It was a pair of wonderful wings.

This is how Spirit became an Angel.  She is now known as the Spirit of Christmas and spreads joy and kindness.  Perhaps we can be like her too.

Jamie Wardley ©Sandinyoureye

Ice Dolphins swimming with Tuna

It was a delight to introduce Andy Moss to his first Big Ice Project in Zwolle, Holland at the kind invitation of Huib Joor. Here there are sculptors from all over the world coming together to make a massive ice project. Of course, we landed fashionably late and had to try and catch up with everyone else who had already been there for three days. This was a lot easier to do with the help of Dutch carver Ludo Roders who rushed in to offer us support.

Together we made Dolphins and fish float in the air which was a very technical challenge for us but made easier by my new Japanese fusing saw and silk murderers gloves that give a little dexterity in these tricky -10 Celsius situations. Ice is an extremely strong material that allows you to do extremely dynamic sculptures and optical illusions. Fill your boots Mr Moss. It is only the beginning.

Jamie

Bogota at Night Photographed by Rodrigo Ferreira

The sky is black and below in the mountain basin is a wondrous living creature.  She is breathing.  If I were to take a photograph of her and show you she would lose the life within as you would lose it if I were to take a photograph of you, because when you are there looking at her in the flesh she is sparkling and is totally alive.  I am told the vast lights of the city that stretch to the horizon only twinkle because of thermal currents making their way through the atmosphere.  Whatever the reason, millions of lights pulsating with a rhythm that dances like the eight million people that live there is remarkable. We saw this looking down from the high vantage point of a mountain top called Montserrat onto a city that nestles in a basin two kilometres above sea level.  I have never seen in my life before an entire city before me, in fact I have seen very few things made by the hand of man that is so beautiful.  All these wondrous flickering lights are the sparkle of the people that live there.  It is the city of Bogota.

Taking a Break Photograph by Bouke Atema www.boukeatema.com

This is the place that has no seasons, it is always warm and has occasional rain that makes it so green and full of fruit the whole year round.  Here the air is thin and when you move with haste you have to breathe deeper and rest more.  Here the crescent of the moon has slipped off its hinges and sits not on its side, but on its bottom like a great white smile that reflects the most welcoming smile of the people that live here.  They are indeed one of the friendliest people I have met, and so varied in appearance that the whole country resembles a cosmopolitan city and is welcoming to all, even a red headed Englishman.  This is Colombia.

Chris taming the Cows. Photograph by Bouke Atema www.boukeatema.com

But I am not unhappy to leave Colombia.  There is something inherently warming about the place I am in now.  Here there are seasons, autumn paints the landscape with its wonderful colours and for better or for worse the dark months of winter draw near.  It is cold and wet but wonderfully green.  The crescent of the moon is as it has always been.  When I speak to somebody they understand every inflection of my voice, I can use all words and full accent.  Here there are people that have known me all my life, we have a deep understanding of each other that has been born out of the many layers of shared experience woven through time.  They need me and I need them.  I belong here.  This is home.  This is Yorkshire.

Statue of Liberty and the New York Skyline sand Sculpture by Jamie Wardley. All part of the sand sculpture festival by the WSSA in Bogota Colombia.

Ghost Ship Sand Drawing

Our big journey started with a sand drawing and sand sculpture on Barry Island for the lovely Sarah Jones.  One part of the team was on the sand drawing on the beach making a Ghost Ship stretched 400 meters across the shore.  I for the first time was not on the job and it was directed by Captain Andy Moss at the helm with the assistance of Lieutenant pAndora directing from the promenade and with Officer Jo Billingsley and Richard Green on the deck.  We were also joined by Officer Mary Murphy and a group of Sailors from Bristol University (UWE) who as always were fantastic.

Barry Island Sand Sculpture

I on the other hand was on the shore with Lieutenant Haigh and Officer Havers building a sand castle and being sure to make the walls strong enough to withstand the cannon fodder of the Ghost Ship.  I think we won the battle as the Ghost ship despite everyone’s efforts was swallowed up by the incoming tide at the end of the day and the sand castle is still standing.  We know how to make castles.

After the Barry Island campaign we said tallyho to our mateys who headed back up to great Yorkshire.  Andy Moss, Richard Green and I headed south to make some little cars for Ford on the wonderful beach of Polzeath, Cornwall.  One of the most poignant memories of that journey was getting out of the van in the dead of night to change drivers on a new moon and black clear sky.  But it was not totally black, as the night was so clear and dark that a sparkling silver cloud stretched across the length and breadth of the sky, each drop of water being a star, and the stars together being our Galaxy.  We were certainly blessed that night.

Red Arrows, courtesy of the RN website

Andy Moss and James Haigh arrived early in Bournemouth to prepare the sand on Thursday. I was driving towards Bristol for a party to celebrate a sand drawing and was getting regular updates from the boys on the phone. “It’s a washout, it’s a washout!” I couldn’t really grasp what James was saying and had to go to the services to call them.

“Jamie, it is a total washout, it’s just been torrential rain, I’ve never seen anything like it. The winter gardens has just turned into a lake that comes up to the waist, cars are floating around round abouts and the sand is just washing away!”

“So is there no sand for the sculpture?”

“Well we put a tarp over it and most of it is still there. Andy even called in the RAF to give him some sand bags!” This was no jest as we were making a sand castle at the Bournemouth Air Show to celebrate 20 years of MARS Ice Cream. I really can’t believe it was 20 years since they came out, I remember looking at them in the freezer when I was a boy. So, so desirable and so beyond the realms of my non-existent pocket money. It was years before I could afford one, but how delicious it was.

The little lady and her dog

I eventually arrived in Bournemouth to find the boys tucked in bed in the hotel. They however were grim and full of frowns. With unrelenting sarcasm Andy piped under his great moustache “No, this is a great hotel Jamie, you would get a lot of money for selling the antique TV.” It was so old and large in fact, that I later used it as my desk. “……And the beds are damp, last night I woke up shivering!” The peace de resistance however was that the ensuit to the toilet was separated by a partition, and the partition was made of frosted glass. This made for some very intimate bonding after breakfast.

medievil sand castle

We cracked on for two days and had a great time making our sand castle, sometimes a little embarrassed as when the red arrows were flying by some people were taking photographs of us rather than them. “It’s the Red Arrows, turn the other way!” They were as all the other times I’ve seen them spectacular, swooping from all directions to make their manoeuvres with all the grace and power of the Jets that they fly; splashing paint in the sky that is their canvas. After they departed Andy turned to me and described that watching them had left a lump in his throat, perhaps because he admired so much their dedication to becoming what they are. “I thought being a sand sculptor was the best job in the world, but now I think it is the Red Arrows.” Unknown to us at the time, moments after they departed back to the airport one of the jets ‘Red 4’ plummeted to the ground and crashed not far from where we actually were. Before impact, it is thought that Lt John Egging managed to steer his jet away from a shopping centre and towards a field. However, he ejected too late and died doing something that he loved. Although tragic there is something poignant in a man following the path of his dreams. He may have been young when he died but he was truly living his life. Let him be an inspiration to us all.

Sandinyoureye has helped make the world’s largest stop motion animation made with our sand drawing in collaboration with Aardman Animation (Wallace and Gromit) and Sumo Science.  And what’s more, all this was shot on a small camera phone called a Nokia N8!

Below is the film itself.  Enjoy!

And the making of….