I also find it rather funny that the majority of people on here that are ferverently for this scheme don’t live in the area, and won’t, like the rest of us, have to look at it every day. If they would like to draw up a list, perhaps they can be first in-line to ‘borrow’ it as has been suggested by Mr Lozano-Hemmer.

As an artist myself I do take exception to some of the remarks that make us out to be artistically negative and small minded in Cardigan. We have some fantastic artists in the area, you only have to visit the new exhibition area in the Guildhall to confirm this. As for the tourist side of things people will still come here for the peace and beauty of our countryside and coastline whether this project goes ahead or not.

I’m a bit confused about where the original Big Art site was intended to be, please point me to the correct information because I believed it was to be sited at Prince Charles Quay. If this was the case then you wouldn’t be able to see the installation by sitting at the quay because compared to the old quay you can barely see the river at all, just a vast expanse of concrete and a wall which obscures much of the river, you would have to go right down to the wall and if you’re under 5′ 10″, you’ll have to peer through those scary gaps in the wall to see the river proper.

I don’t mind not seeing it from the pedestrian bridge because I’d rather see the water, swans, birds, boats etc, that’s just my personal like.

“It will require additional cost to upgrade the Strand river bank” - well good, it needs doing up anyway doesn’t it? and indeed there are plans to do something with it, let’s hope they keep it more natural looking than the artificial, austere, inner city concrete, windswept quay!

“It will create dangerous pedestrian movement across the junction in front of the castle, the link between Prince Charles quay and the Strand being particularly dangerous during the summer.” - well, someone, bloody well make it safer then, some of us have to cross that flippin’ road every day!

I think that if it doesn’t affect the environment of the river then the Strand site will be OK, it has a more peaceful ambience than the quay. If there enough visitors, especially in the summer, it’ll keep Denzil and his souped up Punto away from the place for a while because you do know that the Strand is a pit stop for the boy racers and their girlies, don’t you everyone?

Thank you for reading.

The Chanel 4 Big Art project for Cardigan has been given the go ahead. It has polarised the local community to those who are very enthusiastic and those who see it as inappropriate to the river and a waste of money.

My view tends towards the later viewpoint. The Turbulence does not relate to the Teifi River or its heritage, it could be installed in any river anywhere but I think I have an idea to please all and benefiet the community as a whole.

I sadly do not live in Cardigan at present but my family do and I know the river well.

Having spent 6 years in art education I feel I am reasonably qualified to offer an opinion and have decided to ‘put my money where my mouth is’ and offer an alternative which [most importantly] I hope will appeal to the local people and give them pleasure in viewing it.

My design is based on the heritage of the river with the shipbuilding on the banks and commercial port in the 1800’s.

I have simplified the structural design of a trading ship of the period because it is elegant and functional in its shape and would evoke that period and record it.

The structure would be some 30 ft long, probably made of steel and pivoted off the river bed in an area adjacent to an existing wreck [just down river from the bridge] so as not to cause an obstruction to navigation.

As the tide falls the shape would appear from the water as if rising from it, as the tide turns and rises a ‘rudder’ would slowly spin the shape on its axis and it would appear to slowly sink beneath the water as the tide rises around it evoking the arriving and passing of that proud period in the history of the town.

Because of constantly changing shape exposed, the revolving of it in the tide, reflections on the water, the different current strengths and changing light it would be a constantly changing form which I hope people would find interesting and enjoyable to watch. It could possibly be lit at night using solar panels or small tidal turbines.

Over the years the shape would slowly rust break up as any such form would.

I will only move forward with this project if I get positive feed back from the community. I would also need a small amount of funding to complete it.

The contrast between the two designs would make a visit to Cardigan all the more interesting, ‘modern establishment art’ or a simple design by someone who is sensitive to the area derived from artisans as they shaped and built their ships on the river banks.

I have built a small model and photographed it to try and communicate the concept and hopefully it will apear in local press soon, e mail me and I will send you the photographs.

If you find the idea interesting please contact me:-
j.evans@tdcs.co.uk
J Evans c/o Ty Wynne Gwbert on Sea SA43 1PR

I am not a famous sculptor but I am a designer so I am going to design an alternative sculpture for the river which will reflect its past, blend into the landscape and create beatiful images which will I hope will please everyone who sees it if it is allowed to go ahead. It will be ‘commercial’ though which means people will like it without long winded explanations of what it is so it will be decried by modern art establishment.

I will send the design to the Teifi Side news paper and I hope they publish it.

Jonathan Evans j.evans@tdcs.co.uk

We have some fantastic artists, scupters and willow artists to name a few and Cardigan embraces them all born here or not. Every weekend sees an exhibition somewhere around town, especially with the newly refurbished Guild Hall Exhibition Centre. But the ‘Turbulence’ piece simple does not fit in to its surroundings whatever way you look at it.

It does seem a shame that so much money will be spent on something that is simply not wanted by the local community and I suspect will be sabotaged as soon as it is installed that is the next really high tide we get does not drag it off. Lets hope the Lifeboat does not get launched to rescue it.

The objectors appear to be viewing the project as if it were in the tradition of twentieth century avant-garde - pitting art against a wider public, and insisting that art must deliberately resist mainstream tastes and values in favor of marginality and innovation. In other words, that it is somehow anti-democratic. Nothing could be further from the truth in the case of this work by RLH – This is no unmade bed or pile of bricks – The work is intended to reflect the culture and language of the society around it and provide a meditative and thought-provoking experience – Should that reflection prove to be in the form of obscenity, vandalism or defilement, or in the vitriolic bigoted and unreasoned outcry that some present as the ‘majority’ opinion – then that artwork has perhaps done its reflective job too well and opened a window on the underlying nature of this small town that many would prefer to have kept closed.

I suspect that no matter what form the artwork would have taken, there would still have been the same queue of congenital detractors lined up to ‘have a go’ at it in the name of local democracy while signally failing to understand that this artwork would not exist without its democratic intention.

As a local artist I fully support the project and have nothing but admiration for RLH and his democratic approach (I would have lost patience with the whole thing long ago)
Cardigan is rapidly embarrassing itself in the eyes of the world – for pity’s sake, it’s just an artwork that will cause absolutely no harm to anyone – should obscenities be heard wafted across the otherwise tranquil waters of the Teifi, it might be well to remember that they were not supplied by the art – they were supplied by residents of the town and reflected back for all the world to hear.

Factual research & expert comment is ignored by protesters when it doesn’t suit their cause. There is a weird mass hysteria akin to a lynch mob. I’m saddened that Cardigan inhabitants are being generalised as obstructive & uncaring. Some are; many are not. Some welcome inward investment & the opportunity to raise the profile of the town. Some of this group are apprehensive about sound despoilation if some of our inhabitants (or visitors) abuse the capabilities of the art work - perhaps it is this concern about how Cardigan will appear to visitors that concerns some protestors? Possibly they are nervous of poor behaviour being rather too public.

I have listened to many protestors. I have concluded that a high percentage have taken little trouble to establish facts on how the sound is reproduced, at what sound level, & how any abuse can be managed. Many raised environmental concerns which have been firmly refuted by expert analysis. There is a spirit of non-listening & victimisation, including by protest organisers. It seems unlikely that this group can be swayed by reason, as they wish to be irrational. In that way, they protect their prejudices & use mob behaviour to justify their stance.

I’m not an avid supporter, much more a resident
who feels let down by the lack of critical analysis & considered thought within the town. Knee-jerk emotions are not the same, however deeply felt.

Such a shame in a delightful town, so much improved by considerable public subsidy to fund a more attractive environment in which to live & visit.