Hilbre Island

 

I have chosen Hilbre Island as the main site of enquiry for my research project. My plan is to visit the island at least twice a month, interview local people and hear their stories about the island. The aim is to gather not only visual and perceptual information about the site but also hear about how people connect with the island, with nature. This will enable me to create artworks that express human connection with nature and hopefully re address the importance of nature in our lives.

Brief information about the island
Hilbre Island is a small island off the coast of West Kirby, north west England. The islands are cut off from the mainland by the tide by about six hours out of every twelve. It makes it an unusual place, connected with the mainland yet disconnected obviously when the tide is high. This place is an ideal nature sanctuary, no shops. It's walkable from the mainland, and only accessible by foot, when the tide allows.

My thoughts and readings
Thinking about different journeys I've read about, John Steinbeck's 'The Log from the Sea of Cortez' brings some wisdom to the action of the tides: '...in relation to ourselves and the tide pool - a man looking at reality brings his own limitations to the world. If he has strength and energy of mind the tide pool stretches both ways, digs back to electrons and leaps space into the universe and fights out of the moment into non-conceptual time. Then ecology has a synonym which is ALL'. (Steinbeck, 1951). 

'We never look at just one thing, we always look at the relation between things and ourselves'. (Berger, 1972).