Incongruence #1 Photograph by Max Blinkhorn

Incongruence #1

by Max Blinkhorn

Canvas Print

Framed Print

Art Print

Poster

Metal Print

Acrylic Print

Wood Print

Greeting Card

Title

Incongruence #1

Artist

Max Blinkhorn

Medium

Photograph - Photographic Print

Description

2 of 2

I love environmental art but have rarely had the space to play. Jess and I went to Aberlady beach on Monday and collected numerous razor clam shells. We weren't sure what to do with them but I washed and sorted the best out.

Come Friday and a good weather forecast (but no Jess), I decided Saturday would be perfect for getting my arse off the swivel chair and walk. Something classic, was needed and Glencoe was perfect, I reasoned - closest bit of wildness and likely to be in the sunshine too. Usual walking friends were unavailable but I resolve to go anyway and tipped out of the house at 7.30. I stopped off looking for stockworthy shots as I went so didn't arrive at the "Glencoe Mountain Resort" turn till 11.30. Crossing boggy Rannoch Moor it was becoming windy and cool and I could see the chances of reaching BEM summit were not good. On arrival, it was clear that discretion was the better part of valour. The summit was covered in fast moving clouds, the wind was strong at ground level and in October, day length is limited so I looked for something else to do.

Glen Etive looked appealing - gorgeous light and no cloud. I tagged on to a party of canoeists heading down the river and shot them at a good drop where they had fun plunging over into the pool below. The first party arrived to find a huge upright spike of a log in the pool. They plunged in and removed it easily!

The second party tackled the drop very courageously and coped well although one member was caught in the water roll and needed to be extricated. I followed them down as far as I could walk then waved them goodbye.

The light was still good but was softening towards dusk. I thought of the clam shells as a kind of asset for making some kind counterpoint - salt and freshwater - randomness and order, both beautiful and laid the clamshells out as above. Congruent triangles have straight sides, the same angles and are of the same size. These clamshell triangles are therefore not congruent and being made of natural materials cannot be true triangles. In addition, the shells are from the sea - about as far away from here as you can be in river, terrain and height terms.

In that context, this "installation" is therefore highly incongruent, hence "Incongruous Triangles".

Simple! This sort of thing is not original in itself but what art is? I like the closeness of the shell colours to the rock - adds subtlety.

I considered leaving the shells in place as a discovered piece for someone but felt that the wind would break it up before anyone discovered them so I removed the shells. And they might be useful elsewhere.