21 September 1999

>Hi Ju,

Hi Rita

>Liz has now left me to send you a more in-depth e-mail on my own, the one l sent you last night didn't get there, so we sent it this morning. I am slowly getting the hang of this new technology,

As I said yesterday, remember that it was designed by men . . . but since 14 year old boys can use it, it's just a matter of getting used to it.

>Liz is coming back to check my work in a mo. It was great hearing of all your ideas, I've walked around the cloister area again this morning. We had a lot of rain yesterday, which has left the place a little muddy. The sun is now shining and I'd rather be out on-site than here, but that's life.

At least you're not in the East End!

>As l said many of the images you have mentioned have also been passing through my mind.

Good, we're on the right track then.

>Yes I am all for using the cloister area, l think you need to be aware of its size. It's roughly the size of two football pitches

That's not something I can tell from the booklet.

>and l think something small would be lost in it, unless it was a group of things.

That's a shame - unless we can make something big. I really like the idea of using the site of the old water tower, for the reasons that I said yesterday.

>The idea of a water vessel sounds great, though l think the maximum size for the kiln would need to be it's minimum size. David's kiln takes up to 32 inches in height, if it ends up a dish shape it can be fired on its side.

It will be good to learn something about these processes, I'm afraid that I'm very ignorant at the moment (as you can probably tell).

>The plinth idea is fine, it will give height, l need to look around about for wood, the gardeners may be useful information. A sawn log may be appropriate, we'll see.

Will you be able to get this from the wood?

>I've been doing some sketches, will send images from the A.H. office Thursday afternoon.

Great; I'll look forward to seeing them. Have you worked out how to plug the camera into the computer and email me pix yet?

>The ones l tried to do incorporating many of the images you mentioned look very fussy and complicated,

That doesn't surprise me . . .

>l then tried to simplfy things and went very zen, I'll keep at it and send you the thought marks soon.

Zen is good . . .

>I am still interested in a snake/spiral shape, it may not actually work with the water vessel but I'd like to give it a go and see, it wouldn't be so important to me if you/we scrapped it later. The idea would be to make a snakey winding shape (we have stones here l could use), this shape would go from the springhead and wind onto the cloister area, forming an open circle in which to place the water vessel/font/dish/something.

I can't tell from the diagrams etc where exactly the spring head is, and how far into the cloister you would go with the stones? The key reasons I wanted to use the cloister area was the fact that the water tower was sited there, and the viewpoint that the site of the water tower gives on the rest of the Priory. If we're just talking about using the edge of the cloister I wouldn't mind thinking again about using one of the other sites that we originally considered - if the exhibitors have left us any, that is!

>This part l could begin next week, making things happen/begin. Once we have considered a design l can begin working on it, but it may take a while. If l coiled a dish/sculpture l have to wait a while to let it dry at certain stages or it would flop on me ( an experience l often have). Something could be made over the three days l was here, then drying awaiting David's visit with car, to take back to Halifax to fire. So with making, drying and firing time you could say two weeks mininum.

That seems fine to me - I don't know what the Art House's expectations are though?

>This gives us an idea of time, l hope it doesn't sound too rigid, I am open to thinking and trying different avenues. So if you have had any more thoughts do let me know.

Only that I'd still like to use the mobile/sound elements somewhere, somehow - perhaps we could work on something separately while the drying etc is taking place?

I'm feeling rather ill today so will put these up on the site in the morning.

All best wishes

ju90

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