Calum Stirling – Farra Grain – 1999 to 2002
Grizedale Arts website – “In late 1999 the leafy glade of Farra Grain, an area of Grizedale Forest close to the village of Satterthwaite, was selected by director Adam Sutherland as the perfect spot to install a full-size billboard which would provide a platform for artists to show two-dimensional work in an outdoor, site-specific context. It was the first artwork to be conceived and created by the ‘new’ Grizedale Arts, growing from collective discussions between the organisation and resident artists.”
“The object itself was undoubtedly confrontational; designed by artist Calum Stirling, it was intended to look as urban as possible, standing on steel legs… around fifteen feet high and twenty feet across, the structure was amongst the largest and more conspicuous artworks in the forest.”
“The billboard, which was described by objectors as “Huge, ugly, quite out-of-keeping with the forest, an eye-sore, an insult, a garish intrusion”.”
Different artists created work for the board. These changed every few months or so over the 4 years it was there. Below is a list of artworks featured in chronological order:
Wild animal in his Den – Marcus Coates 1999
See Above
Rally Hopeful – Anna Best, Karen Guthrie, Nina Pope, Simon Poulter, David Shuttleworth 1999
See Above
Protovelocipedalsuperfreeway – James Hutchinson 2000
Another artwork displayed on the billboard but not mentioned anywhere is this work inspired by bicycles, by James Hutchinson, found by chance in his book Random Architecture. The image shows it was before the steel edging was taken off the billboard which was “removed to make the image sit even more starkly against its surroundings” – Grizedale Arts website.
I wonder if there were further works displayed on the board…
Other – Jenny Brownrigg 2000
See Above
Natural Bilboard – Grizedale Arts 2000
Camouflage netting placed over the billboard. See Above
Nothing I know, Something I don’t know – Graham Gussin 2001
See Above
Better Scenery – Adam Chodzko 2001
See Above
The quadruped/ biped divide – Roddy Thompson & Colin Lowe 2002
Burn the billboard – Villagers of Satterthwaite – 4 June 2002
“The billboard remained a point of contention until 2002 when Grizedale initiated a collaboration with the village of Satterthwaite to mark the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. In what was intended to be a sincere and open-handed gesture to the local community, Grizedale (made an) offer to the village that they themselves create a piece of work for the billboard; their work need not necessarily be a printed image – they were given free rein. A meeting was called, and the consensus returned to Grizedale that the villagers would like to burn it.”
“After further meetings and clarification about the implications and overtones of the gesture, and establishing that this was absolutely what the villagers wanted, the date for the burning was set for Jubilee Day, 4th of June 2002.”
Remains
There are no remains of the billboard left, it was quickly cleared away after it was burnt. A smaller version of The Quadruped/Biped Divide is propped against the wall in the Grizedale Arts office, along with a photograph of a Rally car in front of Rally Hopeful.
Photograph Taken June 2019
Artist’s other work in Grizedale – Pay and Display – 1999
Page last updated April 2020
Grizedale Forest Sculpture An Unofficial Archive 