For SALT+EARTH 2024 Festival, Jim Lockey will be hosting a clay based workshop in which local community members will be invited to come and create an object. Jim will then fire these objects in a kiln and invite audiences back to collect them and engage in a procession from Fourth Wall to the shore where they will have the opportunity to play with his ‘Sea Flutes’. For the duration of the festival (Oct 4th – Oct 6th) Jim will exhibit these sea flutes as an exhibition / installation at Fourth Wall Folkestone.
Exhibition Open:
Friday 04 – Sunday 06 October
10:00-17:00
FROM THE ARTIST:
A sea flute is a ceramic vessel that emits a breath-like whistle when activated by water. The power of water transformed into a delicate sound, which connects the hearer to the vitality of geologic processes. After a short procession to the shore the sea flutes will be activated.
We stand on shores that are sculpted by the waves. Tides that erode the land release clay that was itself formed in the beds of ancient waterways. This is the material that is used to create the ceramic sculptural objects known as ‘sea-flutes’. When lowered into water (or activated by the movement of waves), a sea-flute emits a plaintive, haunting whistle. The sea activates the flutes, in a sense giving it life. The clay body of the sea-flute can be read as an analogue for the human body and its sound – our breath. Human life to is dependent upon, and shaped by water.
The sound of the sea-flute, transposes the water’s energy into sound making it tangible in a new way that can be experienced through hearing.
The Sea-Flutes will be carried to the shore in a short procession following the sound of a clay horn. Players will enter the water and activate the flutes. The audience is invited to move amongst the players and listen to the gentle sound, or participate themselves in sounding a flute.
In the weeks leading up to the procession a workshop will be held. Workshop participants will be able to create their own ceremonial objects using the same black clay from which the sea-flutes are made. And will have the opportunity to take part in the procession and first activation of the flutes.