The Lost Rock Library
Rosanna Martin
Goonhilly Village Green, 2019
Photos: Artur Tixiliski
Goonhilly Village Green was an experimental project led by artists Sara Bowler and Elizabeth Masterton and produced by Field Notes. In 2019, 5 artists were commissioned to work with partner organisations and a programme of talks and workshops took place in locations on the Lizard and in nearby towns. The project culminated in The Gathering, a village fête style event on Goonhilly Downs, where artworks and information were shared and a range of activities invited people to engage in their own multi-layered exploration of this special place.
The Lost Rock Library, Rosanna Martin, 2019
Wooden presentation stand, rocks submitted by participants, rock submission sheet
Rosanna worked with local community group the Lizard Outreach Trust to create The Lost Rock Library, a collaborative geological resource commissioned for Goonhilly Village Green 2019. She developed a workshop with young people from the Lizard that drew out aspects of clay and ceramic making, the results of which were on display during The Gathering.
An open invitation was sent out asking participants to donate rocks that they had found and rehoused. To submit a rock participants were required to answer questions about it; where and when it was found, and what it has meant to them during the time they have kept it. The rocks were sent in with the understanding that the original owners would not get them back, instead the rocks would go on to form a library where new rock admirers could browse the display and request to take one away on permanent loan.
Wooden presentation stand, rocks submitted by participants, rock submission sheet
Rosanna worked with local community group the Lizard Outreach Trust to create The Lost Rock Library, a collaborative geological resource commissioned for Goonhilly Village Green 2019. She developed a workshop with young people from the Lizard that drew out aspects of clay and ceramic making, the results of which were on display during The Gathering.
An open invitation was sent out asking participants to donate rocks that they had found and rehoused. To submit a rock participants were required to answer questions about it; where and when it was found, and what it has meant to them during the time they have kept it. The rocks were sent in with the understanding that the original owners would not get them back, instead the rocks would go on to form a library where new rock admirers could browse the display and request to take one away on permanent loan.
At The Gathering visitors made their own addition to the library, inspired by a rock they owned, a rock they remembered or a rock they had just seen. They learned how to create basic shapes using clay, and explored using rocks to create texture and impressions. The sculptures they created were displayed alongside the library for the day, forming a new collection of rocks and their stories.
The Lost Rock Library was open for submissions at the Museum of Cornish Life, Helston and Brickworks, Penryn and offered permanent loans on the Village Green.
The Lost Rock Library was open for submissions at the Museum of Cornish Life, Helston and Brickworks, Penryn and offered permanent loans on the Village Green.
FUNDERS AND PARTNERS
Goonhilly Village Green was an artist led project initiated by Sara Bowler and Elizabeth Masterton, it was supported by funds from Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund, FEAST, Ernest Cook Trust Enviroment & Sustainability Institute at the University of Exeter and the Elmgrant Trust, and in partnership with Natural England, GES Ltd., The Museum of Cornish Life, Trelowarren Estate, Lizard Outreach Trust and Goonhilly Heritage Society.
GET IN TOUCH:
info@fieldnotes.org.ukThe development of this website was supported by Cultivator Cornwall
