Half Moon Stakes
Nigel Lloyd 1983
Nigel Lloyd's 'Half Moon Stakes' was located roughly where 'Between Elephants' is now, on the path south of Carron Crag which has seen many pieces down the years. Lloyd's pieces had a mystical, ancestral vibe, and this one was no different. He explained the origins of his fifth and final Grizedale sculpture to Aspects Journal at the time:
"I had wanted to make some kind of 'earthwork' since arriving in Grizedale, but had never been able to find a site in which to make it, as digging in the area was virtually impossible due to the bed rock lying close to the surface, or masses of tree roots. By banging in metal spikes every few feet, I was able to determine that the base rock wouldn't cause problems and the only tree in the area (a cedar) had its root system going quite deep.The pit of 'Half Moon Stakes' was lined with wood and stone, although not very large - about three foot at the deepest point - it took quite a while to 'dig in'. The excavated earth was built into a mound, covered in stone and turf. Around the pit I placed
Photograph by Bill Grant
a series of oak posts carved with a spiral motif. All the wood used had to be dug in - most to a depth of about two feet where possible - and packed with stone and soil. The reason for digging in becomes apparent when one sees the power of the wind and what it can do to full-grown trees."
Nigel Lloyd said that the time he spent at Grizedale had a profound effect on him. At the beginning of his residency he confessed to feelings of apprehension:
"On arrival at the forest, the thought of working outdoors for six months filled me with quite mixed emotions, great excitement, and absolute terror. Terror, because when one has been used to working in a studio which has four walls usually painted white, and a flat floor, power points for electric drills, and saws, and overhead lighting - to then be greeted by a forest where one's studio can stretch as far as the eye can see, power comes from good, old fashioned elbow grease and overhead lighting is provided by the sun, then terror begins to creep in.
I had never really considered the problems of working outside before, although in my mind's eye I had always visualised my studio work as being outside, but to actually construct work outside was a totally new realm for me, hence both terror and excitement."
By late 1983, however, at the end of his residency, Lloyd left with five sculptures completed and a new outlook on working in the open air:
"I found working in the forest a case of 'going back to basics' and a great feeling of the pioneer spirit of the old west. It was a unique opportunity to throw aside a lot of the trappings of modern sculpture and studio-based work, and come to terms with problem-solving on one's own - 'How do I move this?' or 'How do I support this on my own?' Without having people around me, it gave opportunity for periods of deep introspection into why one works. I feel that Grizedale gave me the chance to work in a totally new way, without the confines of a studio, and in a community with a quality of life so much better than anything I had experienced before. It is hard to find words to describe the experience, suffice to say initial apprehension evaporated into a greater sense of commitment, and realisation that for me studio work is far too claustrophobic, so given the opportunity to work outside again here or abroad, I wouldn't have to be asked twice."
It would seem that the remains of 'Half Moon Stakes' can still be traced on the ground. In front of 'Between Elephants', the stone furrow in the ground is still in evidence, although of course the wooden posts are long gone.
Also by this artist:
For The Birds 1983
The Fortress 1983
Monument To Satterthwaite 1983
Stone Red Wallow 1983