Llosgi Gwynt – Tim Skinner

During the Spring of 2013 my practice relocated to the West Wales coast, as Artist In Residence at Aberystwyth Arts Centre. An incredible three months that saw me delve deeper into my own family heritage and commune with remote wind turbines.

My maternal great grandfather’s occupation was a miner at the Waunlwyd pit in the scarred Ebbw Vale landscape; first as a pony hand finishing as explosive detonator. Filthy, dangerous, dark, dusty, long hour’ed job which garners huge national pride and forged tight communities. The aesthetics surrounding coal mirrors its environmental destructiveness; choking hellish dark slashes, painful fissures.

On the hills to the East of Aberystwyth lies a collection wind farms, the nearest being Mynydd Gorddu. Large white structures, mesmerically turning, silent. On my first visit to the site (which occurred on the 2nd day of the residency) it was a sunny day with low wind. The soundtrack was of the red kites catching up drafts in the sky and sheep vivaciously communing at the start of lambing season; more onomatopoeic than cancer inducing squeals that right wing oil lobbyist would have you believe. I find there to be a mediative calmness to these turbines. Within the local farming communities the structures have garnered protests, fear, and hatred centred much around aesthetics. Unlike coal a community isn’t forged, the turbine installers aren’t celebrated as national heroes.

The contrast, the juxtaposition of these two energies, consumed my creative output throughout the productive three month residency. Main thrust was throwing coal onto canvas and then in-turn projecting floaty layered abstract compositions.