THE BREATH-TAKING moors around Saddleworth are being captured in a unique way after being chosen for the first ‘Framing the Landscape’ project with an internationally renowned Yorkshire artist.
Ashley Jackson has teamed up with the National Trust to install a six-foot tall steel picture frame on Marsden Moor at Wessendento create an ‘exhibition’ of the natural landscape.
The frame, which is inscribed with Ashley’s quote ‘Many people look but only a few see’, is designed tofocus the viewer’s eye so they can take a closer look at specific landscape around them.
The first visitors were 13 budding artists who enjoyed a sketching class with Ashley at the unique site after winning the annual calendar competition by Walker Morris, who are sponsors of the frame.
Ashley, who is famed for his watercolours of Yorkshire landscapes, explained: “What I would like to do is encourage everyone to see the moors and natural landscapes as I do.
“I have always advised students to create a frame to ‘find the view’ they wish to capture. It allows them to focus on one area at a time rather than being over faced with everything in front of them.
“I thought how fantastic it would be if larger frames could be created that allowed us to see the landscape for what it is and hence the ‘exhibition’ of Framing the Landscape was created.
“I hope we might inspire you to visit the safe, accessible locations and take a sketchbook if you wish but most importantly take a minute to look through the frames and see the diverse, dynamic stunning landscapes we are privy to.”
Ashley will next install giant frames at Hardcastle Crags and Brimham Rocks, also sponsored by Walker Morris, to enable visitors to capture the iconic landscape views in an empty frame.
An educational website has also been launched aimed at assisting primary and junior school children with the foundations to art and providing a gallery to upload their work to.
Judith Patrick, National Trust Manager for Marsden Moor, commented: “We look after special places for ever for everyone and with Framing the Landscape we are asking people to take a focussed ‘look’ through the frames and truly ‘see’ the value of the landscapes that surround them.”
David Smedley, Partner at Walker Morris, added: “We are delighted to be the sponsors of ‘Framing the Landscape’. With the fast pace of our everyday lives it is all too easy to miss the detail or not fully appreciate the beauty of the picture before us.
“The launch is also a great way to commemorate the 20th anniversary of our Children’s Charity Calendar Competition, which aims to inspire young people to be creative and celebrate the huge amount of artistic talent in the region.”
Special thanks also go to the University of Huddersfield for assisting with the design, inscription and construction of the frames.
Find out more about ‘Framing the Landscape’ at www.framingthelandscape.co.uk
You can also follow them on Twitter @framinglandsc and Facebook /framingthelandscape
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