Artwork church bell-ringers - RESPIRATION - by Lys Flowerday Dartmouth

Original drawing in ink

To have had the privilege in beautiful St Saviours Church Dartmouth, of watching bell-ringers ring a peal to the calls of their captain, and to have felt the sound currents and the stone tower tremble, is an experience never to be forgotten. There now exists only one last bell foundry in the UK, and the force of the ancient art of bell ringing, with its timeless patterns of musical messaging, balances at its own tipping point. With their instruments invisible to them, the players strongly rely on listening and tactile signals to develop their vital sense of timing. Their skilful performance and artistry depend on a deep connection between them, intense concentration and physical core strength in order to so beautifully weave and layer their far-reaching and glowing soundscapes. Using timing, balance, energy and motion, the bell-ringers become an embodiment of the mysterious language and sound they create, which at times can quite literally transport them into the air. For hundreds of years, this resonant breathing serves a collective memory, that of ocean tides, of silence and vibration.

Oak frame, deep bevel mount, normal float glass

Total dimensions  47.5 X 50 cm

On display in our art gallery-atelier, Studio Dix Neuf, at 19 Foss Street, Dartmouth, Devon, UK