Artist Jenny Pope talks about why she built a coracle on her kitchen table, how we create buoyancy together, and how she's finding ways to navigate climate anxiety.
What an interesting article. I really enjoyed reading this, and look forward to the next phase of Jenny’s work. I’ve seen little bits and pieces of her making progress along the way and sadly missed the launch as ironically I was in Stromness hosting an exhibition at Northlight, which is then how I discovered you. How we are all joined in mysterious ways!
I love these connections! And I love how Orkney is still a nodal point where many of these voyages cross over, as it always has been since even before the Viking longships. The big coracle Jenny mentioned seeing at the Historic Boat Society was made as a replica to test ideas of how Stone Age peoples may have first crossed the Pentland Firth, for a TV programme about Neolithic Orkney. It was a hairy crossing apparently, but they made it across!
Yes Orkney continues to surprise me whenever I visit. As you say a centre for connections. I can’t imagine crossing the Pentland Firth in anything so fragile but people clearly did. Jenny’s work is always thoughtful and intriguing and whatever comes from this will undoubtedly be fantastic. Oh. And congratulations on your recent award.
Hello - I just found you and am delighted to meet fellow travelers. I make Spirit Boats - they are sculptures, paintings or drawings. You have expanded my horizon.
"And what that meant for me because this is where I live, so close to the sea. It's a brilliant place where we get a lot of wellbeing from swimming and rowing and canoeing and just being by the sea. But also, being aware that with climate change and the sea levels rising, all of us, and particularly the people who live quite close to the sea, are going to have a huge challenge ahead of them in terms of what happens."
This is me too. I really appreciated the conversation around building buoyancy through community. Thank you both.
What an interesting article. I really enjoyed reading this, and look forward to the next phase of Jenny’s work. I’ve seen little bits and pieces of her making progress along the way and sadly missed the launch as ironically I was in Stromness hosting an exhibition at Northlight, which is then how I discovered you. How we are all joined in mysterious ways!
I love these connections! And I love how Orkney is still a nodal point where many of these voyages cross over, as it always has been since even before the Viking longships. The big coracle Jenny mentioned seeing at the Historic Boat Society was made as a replica to test ideas of how Stone Age peoples may have first crossed the Pentland Firth, for a TV programme about Neolithic Orkney. It was a hairy crossing apparently, but they made it across!
Yes Orkney continues to surprise me whenever I visit. As you say a centre for connections. I can’t imagine crossing the Pentland Firth in anything so fragile but people clearly did. Jenny’s work is always thoughtful and intriguing and whatever comes from this will undoubtedly be fantastic. Oh. And congratulations on your recent award.
Hello - I just found you and am delighted to meet fellow travelers. I make Spirit Boats - they are sculptures, paintings or drawings. You have expanded my horizon.
Lovely to meet you too Jennifer!
We plan to visit Orkney in Oct next year. It would be great to meet you in person.
That would be lovely Jennifer - let me know a bit nearer the time!
A fascinating discussion weaving it’s way through creative practices that reflects so many shared concerns. Many thanks
"And what that meant for me because this is where I live, so close to the sea. It's a brilliant place where we get a lot of wellbeing from swimming and rowing and canoeing and just being by the sea. But also, being aware that with climate change and the sea levels rising, all of us, and particularly the people who live quite close to the sea, are going to have a huge challenge ahead of them in terms of what happens."
This is me too. I really appreciated the conversation around building buoyancy through community. Thank you both.