Only the passage of time gives us the privilege to see the glimpses of light that linger yet from the War years. In all the terror of industrialised slaughter comes an occasional passive ingenuity and creativity that is a counterpoint to the darker sides of man’s nature. We stumble across these as if groping in this darkness, from the strange beauty of the dazzle ships to Hepworth’s hospital sketches.

Casting in concrete has been used both by artists and the military. With the luxury of peacetime comes the conceit of seeing the division between these two makers blur, so we can appreciate the abstract forms for what they are now as well as what they were intended for. Thus, the tank traps scuttled on the north bank of the Mersey are powerful abstract forms in 3 dimensions, sculpted by wind and tide and creating some remarkable forms.

Oglet Stones No. 1

Captured in pen with the ruins of the brick shelters they line the beach like bleached whalebones, scattered in the debris.

Pen and Ink, 21x29cm (2016)
BUY