The work, by artist David Mackie, involves twelve Cornish granite boulders inlaid with bronze symbols and motifs representing the Diaspora counties where Cornish miners emigrated to including North and South America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Entitled ‘Seams and Veins’, the boulders (originally sourced from Delank Quarry in Bodmin) also display a poem by Cornish artist and poet, Bob Devereux. This specially-commissioned work pays respect to the Cornish miners who “followed lodes across the globe”, taking their unique skills with them to make “fortunes mining the rand gold reef”.
The designs for the bronze motifs which have been inlaid into the granite boulders were created and inspired by local community groups including University of the 3rd Age, Redruth School, Pool Academy, Camborne Science and Community College, St John’s Primary School and Cornwall College, Camborne.
The Seams and Veins boulders have been placed within Heartlands’ five Diaspora Gardens, positioned to follow the patterns of the mineral lodes running deep underground. The inlaid bronze on each of the boulders is an alloy of copper and tin, key minerals in Cornish mining.
Cardiff-based artist David Mackie said: “I have really enjoyed working with such a wide range of people on this project, from the very creative local primary school children to the skilled craftsmen at Delank. I hope this piece will encourage people to discover more about the many unique and diverse elements of Cornish culture found all across the world. It is a truly fascinating and inspirational history.”
The Seams and Veins installation is one of several commissions at Heartlands by local, national and international artists including Walter Jack, Atelier Bow Wow, Nicky Neate and Kingsley Baird.
Cllr Carolyn Rule Cabinet Member of Cornwall Council and Chair of the Executive Board said: “Heartlands is a place to celebrate Cornish History, not just through the state of the art World Heritage Site exhibition being created, but also through the gardens, artworks and shared community spaces.
“These wonderful pieces by David Mackie tell their own story of Cornwall and to see them installed on site is a very special moment in Heartlands’ development.”
David Mackie’s designs for the bronze symbols which will be inlaid into the boulders can be seen at seamsandveinsrelief.tumblr.com.
For more information about Heartlands and the other artwork which has been commissioned, visit www.heartlandscornwall.com.
Heartlands was made possible in 2007 thanks to a £22.3million grant from the Big Lottery Fund, land worth £6million gifted by the HCA and further funding from Cornwall Council and European Convergence.
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