Nahven, my spider daughter

 

Nahven, my spider daughter
82 x 82 cm, oil on board

Gravel Pit Understories

After work I found a quiet place in an old, overgrown gravel pit. Using leaf litter, and whatever natural debris is strewn about me, I’m meditatively organising these things until a sort of harmony is reached.

24 June 2024

The sound textures accompanying the film clips were created using my voice in a similarly free and spontaneous manner, conjuring up how it felt to compile each ephemeral array. 

 

25 June 2024

Initiating this land art arose from a desire to evolve my encephalic cleansing and spend meaningful time being tactile with nature. 

26 June 2024

28 June 2024

29 June 2024

While piecing together the final assemblage, I repeatedly heard popping sounds in the long grass around me. At first I thought it was twigs falling from the trees, but it was actually seed pods exploding. I only realised this because the seed pods I’d placed in the gravel pit portal burst in front of my eyes, surprising me.

Film, photography & sound by 

Gaynor Perry

Thanks for visiting!

A Soothsayer Lately

A Soothsayer Lately
 82 x 82 cm, oil on board

Lost Empress

 

Lost Empress
82 x 82 cm, oil on board

Saint Dymphna's Medicine

 

composed, performed, produced & mixed by © ℗ Gaynor Perry

An act of kindness

What is you

What is me

Lost empress

Decipher her language

Slipping in and out of consciousness

Medicine

Saint Dymphna's Medicine

Illegible handwriting

Eerily crossing out

The art of persuasion

Bending and flexing 

And pushing and pulling

Medicine

Saint Dymphna's Medicine

An admission of guilt

Was it you

Was it me

Swallowed whole

By voluminous nights

Medicine

Saint Dymphna's Medicine

They keep trying to trick me

They keep trying to scare me

So

I'm cavorting with wild bears

Embracing the chaos

Medicine

Saint Dymphna's Medicine

Saint Dymphna's Medicine

7th century Irish princess Dymphna was fifteen years old when her own father, the Pagan King Damon, drew his sword and beheaded her because she refused to marry him after her mother’s death. So the legend goes. She had escaped the King’s horrendous advances by fleeing to Geel with her confessor priest, two trusted servants and the King’s fool. You can read more about Dymphna elsewhere, she's the patron saint of mental disorders. 

While I was incubating this piece, the component parts assembled themselves like one of those push up puppets - and there was Dymphna. I wanted to create a sanctuary. Somewhere soothing, benevolent and hopeful. 

There is of course much more to say, but you can always watch and listen.

Cover photo (GP)

Millpond, St Helen's Church, Welton, East Yorkshire 

Thanks for visiting!

Eagles, Primates

written, performed, produced & mixed by Gaynor Perry

The Old Ruins of Helen de Helen

The Old Ruins of Helen de Helen
h61 x w61 x d1cm, oil on board

The Old Ruins of Helen de Helen (detail)