The Sacred Waters Series consists of four glass wall panels that reflect an experience of place, of 3 different sacred wells and a river that crosses the St. Michaels Way. These locations are natural stopping places, where walkers pause, to drink or refresh, and take a breath, before continuing with the journey. A pilgrimage requires each to tread in the footsteps of others, and these wells are opportunities to pause as others have before.
Rebecca walked the St. Michaels way just before the winter solstice and hoped to discover some of the sacred wells that are to be found along the route. Glass jars were filled with samples of the well waters from St Euny, Trencrom, and Ninnesbridge and were used to mix with glass enamels which are painted onto glass, in an experiment to see if the mineral content might influence the outcome once the diluted glass enamels fired in the kiln. This has resulted in veils of colour, green, grey, and rusty orange, from iron ore present in the water.
The expressionist glass paintings are a response to a place and are cut into tiles, some are triangular – symbols of water and fire. Other panels are cut into wavey lines to reference the flow of the stream that fed the Well at St Euny and the Red River, which crosses St Michael’s way twice. The collaged glass tiles mix in the eye to create an image that vibrates with energy.
The frames are created in cork and timber. Cork is a more sustainable alternative to timber because cork is harvested and the trees are able to regenerate the crop, rather than be felled for timber. Ancient trees are often to be found near the sites of sacred wells and springs because the sites are respected, and revered, and the trees are often left to flourish.
Carn Euny is an ancient settlement with an earth and turf-covered stone structure that has an aperture in the roof, like James Tyrell’s sky space. Nearby a square basin is carved into the rock beneath a tree hung with clootie rags and obscured with a giant boulder. This discovery led Rebecca to seek out other wells, and ultimately led to the Sacred Waters Series.
920 x 920 x 80 mm
Glass, glass enamel, cork, timber.
2023
