Following our sell-out performance at the St Ives Arts Club last month, we will again be presenting an evening of music, poetry and spoken word exploring conflict, peace and reconciliation at Perranuthnoe Church this coming Friday at 7.30pm.

The performance will include some of my poems and stories with original songs by Annie Henry. With a repeat of Katie Kirk’s moving performances, this looks set to be a very poignant and memorable evening.

NO MAN'S LAND

An exhibition with work in progress

As we are now in the Centenary year of the outbreak of World War One I am focussing on that phase of my ongoing Evilution Project.  As mentioned in the previous blog, my two week exhibition at the Salthouse Gallery St Ives starts on Friday 2nd May. I will be showing a number of storyboxes, small framed constructions using documents, poetry and various items of ephemera related to life in the trenches on the Western Front.

The Coventry triptych and the Holocaust panel, from the first phase of my project, will also be on show along with the first of my hand made artists books and other related works.

Throughout the exhibition I will be working on a large triptych entitled ‘No Man’s Land’, depicting an area of battleground complete with barbed wire, shell cases, mud and duckboards! 

I am hoping this will generate some interaction with the public who will contribute their own stories or those of their family. I also hope they will leave their thoughts and opinions on conflict on our ‘Siegried Line’.

The exhibition will be open daily 10.30 -4.30 and runs from Friday May 2nd. until Wednesday May 14th. I will be in the gallery each day and look forward to the possibility of seeing friends old and new.

A New Year

Coventry Cathedral

 

Grandfather- third from left

WW1 Storybox

Artists Books

2013 was a year of ups and downs for me; the hassle of clearing and leaving my Island studio after 20 years, the joy of having a small custom-built studio to the rear of our house, the hassle of getting my Evilution panels back from New York and a couple of falls which lost me a lot of time and then finally, the joy of discovering the exciting world of artists’ books - which became a high point to finish the year on. 

However, 2014, is likely to be my busiest and most exciting year since starting the Evilution Project; a year during which many events will  commemorate the outbreak of World War One. My grandfather and his brothers fought on the Western Front and Phase Two of my project, which I started last year, will focus on that period with paintings, constructions and poems.  I will be exhibiting the first of these works from 1st - 14th May at the Salthouse Gallery St Ives.

During the exhibition I will be creating a large triptych construction ( 5ft x 6ft ) in the gallery using paper pulp, barbed wire and various items of detritus of trench life This will be quite challenging particularly as, for the first time, I will be working in the public eye. However, interaction with gallery visitors, with their own family histories of that period, could be quite rewarding. 

The exhibition will include storyboxes; small framed construction / collages using ephemera and photographs from World War One with fragments of poetry.  I also plan to show some of the books I have been making over the last six months or so.   I should explain : artists’ books, are usually made in the studio and can take almost any shape or form - mine use the accordion format and consist mostly of my own hand-written poems on pages created by painting, collaging and printing There may also be some talks, films and/or poetry readings in the gallery during the exhibition.

In November I will also be having an exhibition of the storyboxes in Truro Cathedral during a special week of events commemorating the Armistice.

Sometime soon, three of the five construction/panels that were exhibited in Coventry  Cathedral and at Ground Zero New York, which I have renamed the Reconciliation Triptych, will enter the Cathedral’s permanent collection. In November they were also installed in St Mary’s Church Penzance for the visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

I was recently interviewed by Radio Penwith for programme about the Evilution Project to be broadcast possibly this month. Although its a small local radio station, their broadcasts can be heard live anywhere at www.penwithradio.co.uk    There are a few other possibilities in the pipeline too so I will be putting out regular updates and information via  Facebook e-mail and post.

The Reconciliation Triptych

Three of my four ‘Evilution panels that returned from Ground Zero New York earlier this year, ‘Coventry’, ‘Dresden’ and ‘Hiroshima’, and now renamed the ‘Reconciliation Triptych’, are to be exhibited in St Mary’s Church Penzance. The exhibition ‘Hope in Darkness’ will also include the large ‘ Angel’ sculpture by Tim Shaw RA and works by a number of well known artists. The exhibition will be open daily from 10.30 to 4.00 from the 2nd to the 17th November. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend Justin Welby will be visiting St Mary’s on Saturday 16th. November during his visit to the Diocese.

I will be giving a talk at St Mary’s  about the panels and the Evilution Project on Armistice Day, Monday November 11 at 1.15.

The three panels which make up this triptych, were formerly part of a five panel installation called ‘Where Their Footsteps Left No Trace’. They were memorials to the millions of innocent men, women and child who became victims of conflict, many because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time or from the wrong country or race.  The original five panels, Coventry, Dresden, Hiroshima, Auschwitz and 9/11, each represented places synonymous with our ability to make extraordinary advances in science and technology only to turn those advances into the means of killing people. A phenomenon I have called ‘Evilution’ and the name of an ongoing project which is likely to occupy me for the forseeable future

The original installation was exhibited at Falmouth Art Gallery, Truro Cathedral, St Ives Parish Church, Coventry Cathedral and St Peter’s Church, Ground Zero ,New York.

The 9/11 panel is now in the permanent collection of the National September 11 Memorial Museum at the World Trade Centre, New York and this triptych is soon to become part of the permanent collection at Coventry Cathedral. I hope to announce the future of the Holocaust ( formerly Auschwitz ) panel in the near future.

   

The Panels at Coventry Cathedral  2010

NY panels back in St Ives

At last I am pleased to announce that after an absence of almost two years, four panels from the installation ’ Where Their Footsteps left No Trace ‘ have at last arrived safely back from St Peter’s Church near Ground Zero, New York.  I’m told they had a profound effect on the many thousands who visited the church during that time. As mentioned in an earlier blog, the fifth panel ( 9/11 ) is now part of the permanent collection of the National September 11th Memorial Museum at the World Trade Centre.

As mentioned in my previous blog, Hurricane Sandy scuttled my plans to go across and repack the panels and get them from the church basement to the shippers in New Jersey so I had to leave it to them to organise it. More delays ensued as New York truckers will only pick up from the kerbside and not basements. As expected, only one thing would resolve this impasse - money ( lots of it! ). 

When the crate finally got to my shipping agents in Exeter the term trucker took on a whole new meaning when Dennis Oates, well know St Ives trucking and tour bus operator heard the story and said “we’ll get them back to his studio for him”  So a few days ago a 40 ton truck turned up at the end of our narrow road and did just that.  The story was well covered in the local press as Dennis had spent his childhood years living in the Battery building on the Island at St Ives which for twenty years and until recently was my studio  and where the panels were made. There’s more to the story which can be found on my website www.evilution-project.com    

I have now renamed the Coventry, Dresden and Hiroshima panels ‘The Reconciliation Triptych’ and the Auschwitz panel ‘Holocaust’. Talks are at present underway about their future and I hope to be able to tell you more in my next blog. 

Susan Rescorla visit

I’ve written much about 9/11 hero Rick Rescorla and his widow Susan who has become a family friend. During her recent visit to Cornwall she attended a ceremony at Launceston College where a newly built wing was named after her husband. She was accompanied by film executive and producer Martyn Auty who is planning a film about Rick’s life. Susan also visited Penpol School ( his childhood school) in Hayle where the children have established a wildlife garden in his honour.  Susan stayed with us for several days during which time she hosted a gathering of friends and family and visited the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Garden - a favourite spot during her visits with Rick.

The Move

My decision to quit the Battery studio on the Island after twenty years was prompted by a new direction of work on a much smaller scale ( more about that soon ), two winters of storm damage, regular rat invasions, vandalism and the last straw - arson!  So the decision was easy. Dealing with the accumulation of twenty years in that large building was a different matter.  If you’ve ever emptied a small garden shed you’ll know what I mean. It took over two months with many trips to the local dump. The good news is that during that time I had a custom made studio built at the rear of my house.  Although less than half the size of the previous one it is perfect with the bonus of being warm, dry and accessable at any time.

I didn’t get to New York City last week to repatriate my Evilution panels. Instead, I watched   the TV in horror as Hurricane Sandy left a trail of devastation along the coast of New York and New Jersey. As it sent a 11 foot surge of seawater into lower Manhattan at high tide my heart sank. Four of the my five panels, honoring the innocent victims of conflict, were in the basement of St Peter’s Church near ground Zero. The fifth is now part of the permanent collection of the National September 11 Memorial Museum three floors below the World Trade Centre just two blocks away.  

So ironic I thought, that my works (symbols of man’s destructiveness) may now have been destroyed so close to ground Zero, the catalyst for their creation and by a force greater than man can create. Or maybe, as some have already pointed out, man did have a hand - by destroying vast areas of rain forrest.

And what of my friends in Manhattan and New Jersey I thought. I cannot contact them, so are they without power, heat, water, phone contact and the basic necessities for survival?

Last night I received the first replies to the many e-mails I have been sending.  One friend has lost his home in Brooklyn -- see photo of him and his family surveying the wreckage. Other friends are well but living in what they describe as a ‘war zone’ with shops running low on food. The only piece of good news is that the panels were not flooded at the church. I still cannot contact the museum.  As I hear more and revise my plans, this page,will be updated along with my website and Facebook pages

911 panel for 911 Museum

I am now very pleased and honoured to say that, following discussions with Jan Ramirez, Chief Curator and Director of Collections of the National September 11 Memorial Museum at the World Trade Centre, the 911 panel will now be exhibited there as part of its permanent collection. I delivered it to their offices last week pending the opening of the museum next year.

In a recent statement Jan Ramirez welcomed the acquisition adding, " As we work to build an encyclopaedic museum collection that engages with the September 11 terrorist attacks in the broadest cultural context, the recent donation of Roy Ray's 911 sculpture seems custom ordered to this mission. As a piece of response art, it provokes haunting memories of the inconceivable destruction of 2/4 mile high skyscrapers......".

The end of a journey

The long journey of the five panels “Where Their Footsteps Left No Trace” from their first showing in 2008 at the Falmouth Art Gallery, at Truro Cathedral, St Ives Parish Church and Coventry Cathedral has now come to an end at St Peter’s Church near ground Zero in New York. At their installation there last July, they were blessed by Father Madigan. I then dedicated the 911 panel to Rick Rescorla, Father Michael Judge and the First Responders that day who gave their lives attempting to rescue others (see my last blog). I then gifted the panel to the city of New York.

Where Their Footsteps Left No Trace at Ground Zero

After a year in Coventry Cathedral, my five sculptural panels entitled ‘Where Their Footsteps Left No Trace’ which highlight our ability to turn the most awesome developments in science and technology into the means of destroying places and innocent people, are now installed in St Peter’s Church near Ground Zero, New York.

On July 30th I attended a reception there at which they were blessed by the church pastor, Father Madigan and dedicated by me to Father Mychal Judge a chaplain to the New York Fire Service, Rick Rescorla a Cornish born security officer in the South Tower who saved the lives of over 2700 people before losing his own and to the 9/11 First Responders including the 343 firefighters who were killed that day.

Rick Rescorla’s widow Susan addressed the 130 gathered in the church praising the First Responders and speaking of the profound effect of first seeing my panels in Coventry. I spoke of the origins of my project drawing parallels between the resilience of New Yorkers ten years ago and that of my parents generation during the Blitz of 1940.

Since making the 9/11 panel I have made many friends among those whose lives were changed forever that day and, as such, feel able to share their tragedy. I therefore decided, as a token of sympathy and friendship, to gift the 9/11 panel to the people of New York City. This was warmly welcomed by those present

Before and after the ceremony the pipes and drums of the FDNY Emerald Society played on the steps of St Peter’s at the foot of which a beautifully restored vintage fire engine was stationed. Known as ‘Engine 343 “ it is dedicated to the firefighters lost on 9/11.

The local press and television were present as was the London Times. Susan Rescorla and I gave several interviews and were photographed many times with the panels and people from all sections of the community.

Finally, preceded by ‘Fire Riders’ on their Harley Davidsons and with much cheering and waving, Susan and I were driven a short distance through New York streets aboard ‘Engine 343’ for refreshments at an Irish pub.

New York New York !!!

I leave tomorrow for New York for what promises to be an eventful weekend. My five Evilution panels are now safely at St Peter's Church close to Ground Zero and await my arrival to unpack and hang them in readiness for Saturday's reception. That event will start with pipers from the FDNY playing on the steps of the church followed by the performance of songs that relate to 9/11. Father Madigan will then bless the panels . Susan Rescorla , widow of Cornish born Rick who led over 2700 people to safety before losing his life as the South Tower collapsed, will introduce the panels and invite me to speak about them and my project. I will then dedicate the 9/11 panel to Father Mychal Judge, a chaplain to the FDNY who was victim 0001 on that day, Rick Rescorla and the 9/11 First Responders. Then we are all going to a nearby Irish pub for me to meet everyone ( and possibly have a drink! ). The rest of my trip is in the 'lap of the Gods'. I'll be collecting as much info and as many photos of the event as I can and will be publishing everything via my Blogspot, website, Facebook, Twitter and next newsletter. Watch this space!!

I recently held a reception in my studio for members of the St Ives Rotary Club. John Hancock, Chairman of their community Services presented me with a cheque for £250 to help with the cost of sending the five panels, 'Where Their Footsteps Left No Trace', ( behind the group in the photo above ) to Ground Zero New York to commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

The exhibition 'Looking Forward Looking Back ' opened for two weeks at the Crypt Gallery St Ives on Saturday 4th. June with the prime intention of showing the "Evilution' panels before their departure to Ground Zero, New York to commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11. The show also featured a number of other works including a series of small constructions using fragments of poems, old photos and ephemera relating to the Western Front trenches of the First World War. The Revd. Canon Philip Lambert of Truro Cathedral spoke of the remarkable spiritual journey the panels had made and John Hancock of the St Ives Rotary Club echoed those sentiments adding that he hoped the exhibition would help to raise the neccessary funds to get the panels to New York and back. It was also the 30th anniversary of my first solo exhibition which was held at the former Salthouse Gallery ( just a few yards away !! ). A selection of landscape related works from those thirty years were also on show. I spent each day in the gallery and in addition to many interesting conversations, witnessed many moving reactions to the panels. I am pleased to say that by the end of the exhibition there had been 1300 visitors and fundraising was on target.

Planned shows for panels

The panels are now back in my studio having spent a year in Coventry Cathedral. Judging by the moving comments and messages I've received they have once again touched the hearts and minds of a great many people. I am now busy packing them again as on Monday the 18th 0f April they will be on show in the Gallery at St Paul's School, Lonsdale Road, Barnes, London SW13 for four days ( Mon - Thurs. 10 - 5 )). This will be to promote their exhibition in New York so I hope to be meeting representatives of the national media as the result of a recent press release. The object is to raise the profile of the project which may attract funding and/or sponsorship to meet the cost of crating, air freight, insurance and travel in both directions (estimated between £5000 & £6000 ). Anyone wishing to help out or advise can contact me by e-mail at roy.ray@virginmedia.com or roy.beryl@virgin.net I will be with the panels each day and will be pleased to discuss the Project with anyone who comes along

My trip to Ground Zero last month was successful and enabled me to meet Father Madigan of St Peter's Church where the panels will be installed. Beryl and I stayed with Susan, widow of Cornish born 9/11 hero Rick, who is organising a reception there on July 30th. I also met retired New York fireman Danny Prince who is helping to build a screen for the panels in the entrance to the Church

Looking to the future, I have a two-week solo exhibition at the Crypt Gallery St Ives opening on Saturday June 4th. This will be partly retrospective as, in addition to the Evilution panels and related works, there will be paintings and collages from my 30 year involvement with the primeval landscape of West Cornwall. More about that next time.

Christian CND weekend

On Saturday 30th. October the Christian CND celebrated their 50th. Anniversary with a Pilgrimage to Peace in Coventry Cathedral. I gave a talk on my Evilution Project alongside the panels followed by a collage workshop entitled 'Peace by Piece'. I'm pleased to say all the participents, none of whom had any previous experience, took home a finished and mounted piece of work. (see photo)

I understand the panels will remain in the Cathedral for a while longer so they will be there this coming weekend which the seventieth anniversary of the destruction of St Michaels Cathedral and the City Centre during the Blitz.

Ground Zero 2011

September 11 2011 will be the tenth anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Centre. This week I have received an invitation from Father Kevin Madigan to exhibit the panels 'Where Their Footsteps Left No Trace' in St Peters Church, Manhattan, New York City,( above) as part of the commemoration of that dreadful event. The panels, one of which is dedicated to the innocent victims of the attack, are currently in Coventry Cathedral. Once again it seems that the panels are on a journey of their own (although much needs to be done in terms of organising and fund raising). More information will be in future Blogs.

Hiroshima group at Coventry

I recently made another trip to Coventry Cathedral to meet a group of Japanese visitors. The group with their English hosts, were from Hiroshima and included a number of survivors of the 1945 atomic bombing of that city. During their tour of the old Cathedral ruins and the new Cathedral they gathered round my installation where I gave them a short introduction to my Evilution Project. A number seemed quite moved by one of the panels, which is dedicated to the Hiroshima victims.

Dresden Choir at Coventry

On Easter Monday I attended a concert by the choir of the Frauenkirche Dresden. Considered to be one of the best choirs in Europe, they performed a selection of early and contemporary works. At the end of the concert they processed to the Baptistry where around 300 people gathered to hear them perform a further and moving work alongside my installation 'Where Their Footsteps Left No Trace'.

Susan Rescorla in St Ives and Coventry March 2010

Susan, widow of Cornish born Security Officer Rick Rescorla who saved 2700 lives on 9/11 before losing his own, stayed with me in St Ives. We visited the Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden she had visited with Rick. We later went to Coventry to view the Installation in the Cathedral spending some time with the 9/11 panel