Artists draw the line under development

A group of residents have come together with a local school to create a pop-up art exhibition celebrating the range of wildlife on their local common and to ‘draw a line’ under possible future development.

Art for the Common was held last Saturday at the Linden Christian Centre, West Cross, Swansea and included a large mural painted by the children of Llwynderw School, alongside two knitted panels by the Swansea Yarn Bombers, as well as paintings, photographs, poetry, videos and sculptures by local residents

Poet Rae Howells, who has written a book about the common and is poet in residence at Llanelli Wetlands Centre, was one of the exhibition’s organisers.

“We are lucky to live in West Cross so close to this wild and green corner of Clyne Common, but sadly it is under threat of development. Since we found out about the planning application, residents have been making an effort to record the amazing wildlife here.

“It’s extremely boggy which makes it ideal for scores of rare plants and fungi, which in turn support a huge variety of insects, and of course birds, reptiles and amphibians thrive in an ecosystem like this.

“When I started to learn more about the common’s wildlife, I began to write poems, which then became a book – This Common Uncommon. And through the book I met so many talented residents who paint, sew, sculpt, knit, take photographs, and we decided to bring all those talented people together to create work inspired by the common. It snowballed from there!”

Ysgol Gymraeg Llwynderw spent the summer term on an art project inspired by Rae’s book, the common and its wildlife. They discovered more about the species that live on the common, and together painted a large, colourful panel and dozens of painted wooden discs, which will be put on permanent display at the school after the summer.

Opportunity

Rae added: “It was wonderful to see the pupils engaging with wildlife that is on their doorsteps, painting things like goldfinches, dragonflies and waxcap mushrooms, which children nowadays don’t often get the chance to encounter in built-up areas.

“The panel was a showstopper, and we were very lucky that the school were willing to lend it to the exhibition.”

Artist Graham Parker is among the artists who showed work at the pop-up exhibition.

“In the tradition of art as a powerful medium for raising awareness, inspiring action, and fostering a deeper connection with the environment, it was great to be among community artists and poets, united in a struggle to save an environmentally significant section of common land from development.

“My parents took my sister, and me on weekly trips to the common when their off licence was closed on Sundays. During these weekly excursions, I became captivated by drawing the beetles and bugs I found there. My ingrained memory of frequent visits to the stark but beautiful landscape still informs my painting practice.

“My artworks are testament to my childhood exposure and exploration of compelling, inspirational landscapes. I aim to guide the viewer into and beyond the horizon, a magical space, where particles of light and colour both merge and sparkle. An experience first evoked by the big skies and the otherness of our childhood ‘spins’ to the common.

Swansea Yarn Bombers, who featured recently in the popular BBC Wales production ‘Our Lives’, exhibited a specially-made pair of composite panels for the Art for the Common event. One showed the common by day, and the other the common by night. Knitters from across Swansea Bay contributed to the pieces, which included moles, owls, bats, ferns, toads, bees, butterflies and dragonflies.

A series of oil paintings was contributed by West Cross artist Mike Crafer, who also helped organise the exhibition, as well as facilitating submissions by Jessica Crumpton, Peta Leech, Jo Leend, Lyne Ellis, Jeff Kirkhouse and Mary Atherton. There were also artworks on display by Joy Howells, Gwennan Poucher, Mabli Poucher, Neil Jones Coles, Helen Carter, Sara Davies, Sian Sullivan, Mark Lyndon and Jean James.

Environmentalist Sue Cole was also involved in organising the exhibition, alongside campaigning to save the common from development. Although planning permission for 56 homes was narrowly approved last year, the campaigners have successful lobbied for a public enquiry into the proposed de-registration of the site as common land, which will run from 6 – 9 August at the Village Hotel, Swansea.

Sue said: “It’s appalling that planning has been granted on the common. It’s an amazing area for wildlife and as a place to unwind. There are plants here that I’ve never seen anywhere else. Other areas are restoring peatlands and this one is at risk of being destroyed. We’re in a Climate and Biodiversity crisis. We should be protecting places like this not building on them.”

Although the exhibition was only able to be shown for an afternoon, it is hoped a longer exhibition of the works might be possible in the future.

Meanwhile, objectors to the development have been encouraged to attend on 6 August at Village Hotel, Langdon Road, Swansea SA1 8EQ