A striking and unusual art exhibition on the Forestry Commission estate at Grizedale Forest in the Lake District will see twenty giant 8ft x 6ft photographs suspended among the trees from 18 August to 6 November 2009.
‘Ghosts in the Wood’ is the Forestry Commission’s first national touring exhibition by award winning artist Mike Smallcombe.
The exhibition's stunning photographs are printed on a special outdoor canvas made from waterproof material and are held in place high in the trees using ropes and a specially developed pulley system.
Mike Smallcombe said:
"Ghosts in the Wood features images of imagined stories of local people in rural settings that reflect the sometimes harsh realities of country life. They also reflect the need of the imagination to flourish through myth and altered reality."
Hayley Skipper, Arts Development Officer for the Forestry Commission at Grizedale said:
“We're delighted to host the Ghosts in the Wood exhibition. These haunting photographs will look amazing in the environment of Grizedale Forest and will make a wonderful addition to our famous sculpture trails this Autumn.”
Mike Smallcombe has lived in Devon for 15 years and in 2007 won the k2paper.com photography award at the Exeter Contemporary Open.
Recent commissions have won a number of national architectural awards including the Stephen Lawrence Prize, two RIBA Awards, a Civic Trust Award and the Northern Culture Award for 'Best Use of Public Open Space'.
Ghosts in the Wood is supported by Arts Council England, Devon Arts Culture and CCANW.
Grizedale is one of three Forestry Commission estate venues that have hosted Mike Smallcombe’s touring exhibition. Previous venues included Kielder Forest in Northumberland and Haldon Forest in Devon.
The exhibition is part Grizedale’s forest based art programme which aims to inspire and engage people with the development of art in Grizedale Forest and forge new links between contemporary visual art, sculpture and the forest environment.
Grizedale was at the forefront in the development of art in the environment in the 1970s and the Forest is home to over 60 sculptures including works by Andy Goldsworthy, Richard Harris and David Kemp.
Grizedale has something for everyone with a wide range of walking trails, waymarked paths, forest roads, tracks and bridleways, plus superb views of Coniston Water, Windermere and the Grizedale Valley.
More information about Grizedale Forest can be found at www.forestry.gov.uk/northwestengland
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. Images of Mike Smallcombe’s work are available by calling 01524-782086.
2. The Forestry Commission is the largest provider of countryside recreation in Britain, with responsibility for more than one million hectares (2.4 million acres) of forest, woodlands and open countryside. The North West England Forest District covers the Lake District in Cumbria, the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Cheshire. The forests are managed for conservation, wildlife, landscape and recreation as well as providing a valuable source of timber.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Hayley Skipper on 01229-862015 or 07767-004562 or email hayley.skipper@forestry.gsi.gov.uk. Alternatively, call Sue Gardiner on 01229-862002.