T H E O R I G I N S O F T H E D R U M M E R

T I M S H A W

“A symbol ic work that ce lebrates the sp ir i t of a land and i ts people.”

mi les f rom the country ’ s admin i s t ra t ive centre , po i sed on the

edge, ju t t ing out in to the great At lant i c Ocean; Cornwal l i s

geograph ica l l y and to some extent , economica l l y remote. The

shared sense o f mag ic and t imelessness tha t one fee l s not

on ly comes f rom the barren landscape and rugged coas t l ine

and f rom the qua l i ty o f l i gh t the pen insu la possesses , but a l so

f rom the dere l i c t ion and deso la t ion le f t over f rom a by-gone

indust r ia l age. L iv ing in a remote p lace o f ten br ings some

k ind o f hardsh ip . Perhaps i t i s th i s tha t has ins t i l led wi th in the

nature o f i t s peop le , a qu ie t and proud sense o f independence

para l le led wi th an ins t inc t to surv ive whatever the preva i l ing

c i rcumstances may be.

In the a rch i ves o f Truro Museum there i s an ex tens i ve

co l lec t ion o f photographs o f t in miners work ing underground

around the turn o f the 1900s, taken by the photographer

J .C.Burrows. One photograph in par t i cu lar, por t rays seven

men s tand ing in f ront o f a minesha f t . The image i s both

haunt ing and aus tere; the sub jec ts look s tern ly in to the camera

lens , they are un i ted by l i fe ’ s hardsh ips , which are etched in to

the faces o f each and every man, a look that i s more d i f f i cu l t

to f ind in Cornwal l today.

I t i s perhaps then, the men and boys tha t mined t in for

generat ions in the heat and darkness be low ground leve l , and

the f i shermen that bat t le aga ins t the sea tha t bes t descr ibe the

sp i r i t o f ‘ s tee ly res i l ience. ’ I t i s exact ly th i s tha t The Drummer

ce lebra tes as i t forces a mighty b low upon the drum.

The ba l l on which the f i gure ba lances re la tes to the sea , ear th

and the br ight moon that sh ines across expans ive n ight sk ies .

The compos i t ion or ig ina tes f rom an ins ta l l a t ion ent i t led La

Corr ida ~ Dreams in Red. The dec i s ion to use the ba l l was

in sp i red by the quay ’ s c i r cu l a r pav ing des i gn , wh ich re fe r s to

The Drummer

A Symbolic Work that Celebrates the Spirit of a Land and its People.

The beat has been in ex i s tence f rom the beg inn ing o f t ime.

I t i s l i fe i t se l f, present wi th in us a l l . Perhaps the Universe has

i t s own eterna l pu l se . That most pr imi t i ve o f ins t ruments ,

the drum, i s used to summon and communica te , i t enter ta ins

and evokes fee l ing . My own re la t ionsh ip wi th the drum began

dur ing my ear ly ch i ldhood in Be l fas t . On every twel f th o f

Ju ly, and throughout the march ing season o f the preced ing

months , the ground and a i r would thunder and pound wi th the

co l lec t ive beat o f drums as Orangemen paraded in mass

through s t reets across the prov ince.

I t was no surpr i se tha t when I f i r s t se t foot in Cornwal l ,

twenty f i ve years ago, I descr ibed i t as a p lace whose drum

beats d i f ferent ly to anywhere e l se , re ferr ing to the pr imord ia l ,

mag ica l and t imeless aspect tha t the land possesses . Th i s came

to mind, when in 2007, I was inv i ted for the second t ime to

submi t a proposa l for a scu lp ture for Truro ’s Lemon Quay. I

v iewed the opportun i ty as a chance to ce lebra te someth ing

tha t would re f lec t an aspect o f Cornwal l and i t s peop le , and

not jus t the c i ty.

What does i t mean when we re fer to Cornwal l as t imeless or

mag ica l and what makes th i s County d i f ferent f rom any other?

The search for answers led to wa lks across moor, coas t ,

and underground in to the t in mines , to conversa t ions wi th

d i f ferent peop le , f rom a l l wa lks o f l i fe . “ You cou ld fee l the

b lack , ” an ex-miner descr ibed the th ick , s t i f l ing , d imly l i t

a tmosphere o f h i s subterranean work ing env i ronment . I t ’ s a

descr ip t ion that had pro found resonance.

A f ter some thought , I conc luded that Cornwal l in modern

t imes i s bet ter known as a tour i s t des t ina t ion and a p lace

where many people have chosen to set t le . There i s , however,

someth ing more fundamenta l tha t de f ines the pen insu la . Many

the t ida l water beneath i t . The ba l l sugges ts both a sea buoy

and the g lobe across which a great many Corn i sh people

migra ted to f ind work.

The Drummer scu lp ture i s cas t in bronze, an a l loy composed

o f copper and t in . The cas t conta ins both an ingot o f Corn i sh

t in and Corn i sh copper which has been symbol ica l l y thrown

in to the cruc ib le dur ing the smel t ing process . The emblem

of the lamb and f l ag embossed upon the drum represents

pur i ty and re fers to Truro ’s pas t as a s tannary town where t in

was weighed, s tamped and so ld . S i tua ted midway between

Land’s End and Sa l tash, Truro has t rad i t iona l l y served i t s rura l

communi ty as a commerc ia l centre . In turn, the Drummer

br ings to the hear t o f i t a sense o f the rura l communi ty through

which i t ce lebra tes the rhythm and beat tha t dr ives many

fes t i v i t ies throughout the county : the Hels ton F lora l , Penzance ’s

Mazey day, S t Jus t ’ s La f rowda and that most pr ima l and mag ica l

o f r i tes , The Pads tow Obby Oss and more recent ly, Truro ’s

winter c i ty l i gh ts .

Twenty- f i ve years on f rom my f i r s t arr iva l in Cornwal l , i t i s

an honour to have been commiss ioned to create th i s work. I t

i s uncanny, yet f i t t ing , tha t the scu lp ture, which endeavours

to de f ine someth ing about Cornwal l and i t s peop le , shou ld

have been created in a d i sused quarry bu i ld ing in a remote

locat ion that was once the centre o f the gran i te indus t ry

where rock was b las ted and shaped by masons . I t i s tha t

same rock which paves the many s t reets o f our cap i ta l , three

hundred mi les away.

Tim Shaw. 2011

I t i s a great accolade to be housing this momentous exhibi t ion by Tim Shaw at Mi l lennium. This exhibi t ion and the s igni f icant publ ic unvei l ing which fol lows make i t , arguably, h is largest and most enduring project to date. Shaw is a sculptor with extraordinary di l igence and dedicat ion, which in turn leads to an often-miss ing prerequis i te – monumental i ty. With Tim Shaw, that e lus ive element is a lways present, in smal l maquette or larger form. The work is iconic. I t i s therefore appropriate that Shaw was commiss ioned to make The Drummer. The result fu l ly represents the determinat ion of people and place - balanced def iant ly on the edge. In his Art is t statement he has spoken at length and in deta i l about the speci f ics of the project and i ts relat ionship to i ts s i te. However, i t seems important for me to introduce by focuss ing on the permeat ing subjects within Shaw ’s work as a whole, and how these themes have culminated in ‘The Drummer ’s ’ pervas ive importance - not just to the centre of Cornwal l , but to Tim Shaw ’s oeuvre and to the wider context of art is t ic h istory.

Shaw ’s work deals with pr imordia l human inst inct, lay ing i t bare, never f l inching from confront ing us – with darkness and l ight. The need to recol lect such truths is v i ta l the more progress ion shie lds us from some of our fundamental character ist ics. The yearning for such works of art becomes more and more important by way of res istance – to remind us who we real ly are. Shaw ear l ier stated, “There is a need for me to g ive shape and form to the emotive forces that l ie beneath the appearance of everyday real i ty.”

React ion to the work in the past has been extreme – ‘S i lenus’ , a larger than l i fe f igure, with ant lers, holding his erect penis and star ing unnervingly into the eyes of the v iewer made Nat ional news when i t was attacked by a masked man with an iron bar whi lst on exhibi t ion in the East End of London in 2007. In mythology, the wise old fool was tutor to Dionysus. As with much of Shaw ’s work the mythologica l or histor ic themat ic structure merely underpins a contemporary concern. A subtext for th is def iant, conceited f igure was the sneering fr ivolous nature of power, a warning of an inherent corrupt ive human e lement. This p iece was or ig ina l ly envisaged as part of the insta l lat ion ‘The Rites of Dionysus’ on permanent d isp lay at The Eden Project l ink ing c losely to the mythology of the bacchanal , but g iv ing shape to perennia l extreme facets of human nature acted out in fu l l on l i fe ’s stage.

From mid 2007 to late 2009, a substant ia l body of work was real ised during Shaw ’s res idency in London, where he l ived and worked in Kenneth Armitage’s former studios as recipient of the Kenneth Armitage Fel lowship. Drawing from personal experience of h is format ive years growing up in troubled Bel fast , Shaw made a ser ies of works focussed on world conf l ict , and the emotive forces that propel and perpetuate acts of extremism. ‘Tank on Fire’ was made; tak ing inspirat ion from images of events in Basra where an igni ted soldier f lees a burning tank. The piece was announced winner of the

inaugural Threadneedle Judges Pr ize. Shaw also made ‘Man on Fire’ a double l i fe-s ized f igure propel led uncontrol lably forward whi lst engul fed by f lames. Shaw stated of these works, “ I tr ied to imagine the thoughts and feel ings of someone consumed by f i re, of someone who is caught between two worlds, that of l i fe and death”. The culminat ion of the res idency was ‘Cast ing a Dark Democracy ’ a 17 foot sculpture of the Abu Ghraib pr isoner stood in front of a mirror ing pool of oi l on a sand covered f loor. A smoke f i l led low- l i t room, and drumming hear tbeat pu lse completed the insta l lat ion. The true cost of conf l ict , fear and greed made palpable. Jackie Wul lshlager, cr i t ic for the Financia l Times heralded the piece ‘The most pol i t ica l ly charged yet poet ica l ly resonant new work on show in London’ whi ls t Gi lda Wil l iams of Art forum stated ‘Shockingly powerful… I ’d assumed that no work could ever match the impact of the actual newspaper photos, but Cast ing succeeds”. My las t exper ience of work ing wi th Shaw was on the 2008 exhibi t ion ‘Future History ’ , which took place mid-way through the res idency. The exhibi t ion was a mixture of maquettes of images of conf l ict a longs ide a ser ies of ‘Fert i l i ty Figures’ and ‘Funerary Figures’ . In his cata logue introduct ion Shaw confronted an in i t ia l concern over, what could be termed, disparate subject matter, stat ing, “At f i rst g lance the work pursues two dist inct ly di f ferent paths, one deals with current a f fa irs the other has i ts roots in something much older.. . Perhaps one thing that binds i t together is to do with the most pr imal of a l l concerns which is the wi l l to exist .”

After the product ive res idency in London, Tim returned to Cornwal l to begin this intensive per iod of work on The Drummer.

Featured as part of th is exhibi t ion is the ear ly insta l lat ion; La Corr ida - Dreams in Red, made from 1996 to 1999 af ter a three month res idency in Andalucía. I t i s a depict ion of a stage that rages with energy, pass ion and grace. Elements of beauty, sensual i ty and bruta l i ty merge. Al l part ic ipants v igorously a l ive, yet at a l l t imes intensely aware of their morta l i ty. Amongst the ensemble s i ts a f lamenco dancer elegant ly balanced on large spheres. I t was the f i rst use of th is universa l symbol within Shaw ’s work. Shaw once told me of a profound moment which occurred af ter the death of h is Father - when he asked his Mother i f h is Father had passed peaceful ly she sa id ‘he s lowly drew back less and less breath unt i l f ina l ly i f was as i f a great bal l of s i lence had f i l led the room’. This powerful , poet ic not ion becomes di f f icul t to elude and adds another layer to the s igni f icance of the ‘orb’ symbol.

The or ig ins of The Drummer could be seen as the seeds that dr ive a l l of Tim Shaw ’s work, the pounding pulse of existence, the def iant yet graceful balance on a precar ious bal l of uncerta inty represent ing forces greater than ourselves. The Drummer wi l l s tand as a centre piece to Cornwal l but wi l l a lso stand as a permanent monument to the ephemeral state of balance between l i fe ’s resolute, magni f icent endeavour and the unknown which awaits us a l l .

Joseph Clarke. 2011

Figure on Ball I

bronze

edition 16

height 19 cm

6

7

8

Figure on Ball II

bronze

edition 16

height 18 cm

9

10

Figure on Ball III

bronze

edition 16

height 15 cm

11

12

13

Figure on Ball IV

bronze

edition 16

height 19 cm

Figure Study I

ink on paper

42 x 59 cm

14

Figure Study I

ink on paper

42 x 59 cm

FIgure Study II

ink on paper

42 x 59 cm

15

16

Dancer on Ball I

bronze

edition 16

height 24 cm

17

18

19

Dancer on Ball II

bronze

edition 16

height 24 cm

20

Dancer on Ball III

bronze

edition 16

height 24 cm

21

Rising Swan

bronze

edition 8

height 11 cm

The Dance Between Two Forms

The first proposal for Lemon Quay consists of a composite of two monumental sculptures to

be placed at each end of the quay. At the wider end, a swan with a wingspan of twelve metres

stands upon a sphere that appears to float upon a shallow pool with water cascading down

from its wings. Facing this, on the opposite end, a female figure stands upon a ball, with arms

out-stretched, she appears to conjure up the vision of the giant bird 80m away.

Originally entitled: ‘In Remembrance of Tidal Waters that Lies Beneath’ the idea responds to

a sentiment shared by some of the local community that the quay should be restored to its

original condition.

22

23

24

Swan Study I

ink on paper

42 x 30 cm

Swan Study II

ink on paper

42 x 30 cm

Swan Study III

ink on paper

42 x 30 cm

25

26

In Remembrance of Tidal Water I

bronze

edition 8

height 19 cm

27

28

In Remembrance of Tidal Water II

bronze

edition 8

height 23 cm

29

Study for The Drummer I

ink on paper

59 x 42 cm

30

Study for The Drummer II

ink on paper

30 x 21 cm

31

32

The Drummer: Small Maquette

bronze

edition 16

height 26 cm

33

The Drummer: Large Maquette

bronze

edition 5

height 65 cm

34

35

36

Head of The Drummer

bronze . edition 5

plaster / resin . edition 8

height 56 cm

37

38

The Drummer, Cornwall, 20/10/10

official archive studio silver gelatin photograph

signed by Nik Strangelove and Tim Shaw

25.5 x 20.5 cm . edition of 8

61 x 51 cm . edition of 8

Tim Shaw and The Drummer I, Cornwall, 20/10/10

official archive studio silver gelatin photograph

signed by Nik Strangelove and Tim Shaw

25.5 x 20.5 cm . edition of 8

61 x 51 cm . edition of 8

TIM SHAW

1964 Born Belfast

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

1985 – 89 Falmouth College of Art – BA Hons Fine Art, First Class1984 – 85 Manchester Polytechnic – Art Foundation

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2011 The Origins of The Drummer, Millennium, St.Ives 2009 Riflemaker presents at The Kenneth Armitage Foundation, London2008 Casting A Dark Democracy, Kenneth Armitage Foundation, London Future History, Goldfish Fine Art, Cornwall2006 No Title, Goldfish, Cornwall2005 Truro Cathedral, Cornwall1999 La Corrida: Dreams In Red, Falmouth Public Art Gallery, Cornwall 1997 La Corrida: Dreams In Red, Duncan Campbell Gallery, London1992 Fragments from the Middle World, Albemarle Gallery, London

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2011 The Exquisite Trove , Newlyn Art Gallery Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London 2010 F. E McWilliam Gallery, Banbridge, Northern Ireland The House of Fairy Tales, Millennium, St. Ives The Uniques Store, Riflemaker, London 2009 Volta, Art Basel, Riflemaker In The Mix, Pangolin, London2008 Threadneedle Prize, shortlisted (Selectors Prize), London Mixed / No Theme, Goldfish, Cornwall Icons, 108 Fine Art, Harrogate 2007 Move, Goldfish at Vyner Street, London Politics Pays Back, Kowalsky Gallery @ DACS, London Margins, Sherborne House Open 07, Sherborne, Dorset Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London Art Now Cornwall, Goldfish, Cornwall2006 Spontaneous Combustion, Newlyn Gallery, Cornwall

2006 Visiting Picasso, Falmouth Art Gallery, Cornwall2005 Royal Ulster Academy, Ulster Museum Critic’s Choice, NSA, Lemon Street Gallery, Truro The Sculpture Show, Mullan Gallery, Belfast2004 Drawing the Line, Newlyn Art Gallery Bath Fringe Festival Millfield Open Exhibition (first Prize) 2003 Truro Museum, Cornwall Identity, Newlyn Art Gallery, Cornwall Millfield Open Exhibition2001 Obsession, Newlyn Gallery, Cornwall2000 Art 2000, Gordon Hepworth Gallery, London Lemon Street Gallery, Truro, Cornwall1997 Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London (prize Winner)1996 Casa Manilva, Spain1993 Northampton Museum and Gallery Images of Christ, St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Artists of Promise, Bonhams Gallery, London1992 The Working Process, Newlyn Gallery, Cornwall 1990 Summer Show, Albemarle Gallery, London1985 The Otter Gallery, Belfast

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COMMISSIONS

2009-11 The Drummer , Lemon Quay, Truro, Cornwall2008 The Minotaur, The Royal Opera House, London2000-4 Rites of Dionysus, The Eden Project, Cornwall

AWARDS / PRIZES

2008 Selectors’ Award: Threadneedle Prize, Mall Galleries2006 Kenneth Armitage Sculpture Fellowship Award2005 The Mullan Prize, Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition Prince of Wales Bursary Award, The British School at Athens2003 First Prize, Millfield Open1997 Prize Winner, Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London1996 Delfina Studio Trust Award, Residency at Casa Manilva, Spain

Tim Shaw and The Drummer I, Cornwall, 20/10/10

official archive studio silver gelatin photograph

signed by Nik Strangelove and Tim Shaw

25.5 x 20.5 cm . edition of 8

61 x 51 cm . edition of 8

TEACHING

2001 Ceramica Workshop, St Ives International, Cornwall1994-09 Visiting Tutor, Falmouth College of Art

SELECTED PRESS / PUBLICATIONS

2011 The Origins of The Drummer, Millennium, Catalogue2009 The Threadneedle Prize at the Mall Galleries, Financial Times The New Curiosity Shop, GQ , Sophie Lewis Casting A Dark Democracy review, Dazed magazine online Casting A Dark Democracy review, Art Forum, Gilda Williams 2008 Casting A Dark Democracy review, Financial Times, Jackie Wullschlager Casting A Dark Democracy, Critic’s Choice, FT Casting A Dark Democracy review, Time Out, Francis Gooding Casting A Dark Democracy, Critic’s Choice, Time Out Future History, Goldfish, Catalogue The Genuine Article, Cornwall Today, Alex Wade Penzance Turns Regeneration into a Fine Art, The Observer, Alex Wade No Bull – the Covent Garden Monster, The Evening Standard, Georgina Littejohn2007 Politics Pays Back review, The Spectator, Mark Glazebrook Is this the New Brutalism?, The Times, Hester Westley2007 New Face of Cornish Art, The Times, Laura Gascoigne Sherborne House OPEN 07, Big Issue August Brian Sewell & the Art of Insulting your Hosts, The Independent, Ian Herbert Sunday Times Culture Magazine, Richard Brooks Move, Goldfish at Vyner Street, Catalogue 2006 No Title, Goldfish, Catalogue NSA Summer Show, Goldfish Fine Art, Catalogue 2004 Summer Exhibition, South West Academy, Catalogue2003 Landscapes & Desire, Catherine Tuck, Sutton Publishing Catching the Wave: Art and Artists in Cornwall, Tom Cross, Halsgrove2002 Art: N.S.A., Newlyn Society of Artists, Catalogue Eden: Tim Smit, Bantam Press Broomhill Sculpture Gardens2000 20 Years of Contemporary Art, Falmouth Art Gallery, Catalogue 1993 Images of Christ, Religious Iconography in 20th Century British Art, Catalogue 1992 Exhibition review, Spectator, Giles Auty

Tim Shaw would like to thank:

Joe and Hollie Clarke and Sarah Goldbart at Millennium for their continued support

Nik Strangelove for his official archive photography of The Drummer

Alban Renoird for the interview film

All at Bronze Age Foundry, London and Sculpture Studio, Devon

Neil Scott at Totally Truro

Big Ears Audio The team at Cornwall Council : Andy Cook , John James and Donald Martin. Truro town clerks past and present: Russell Holden and Roger Gazzard

David Buurma of Mor Design and Mark O’Brien, for making it happen !

Published by Millennium to coincide with the exhibition ‘The Origins of The Drummer’ by Tim Shaw

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publishers

Archive images of The Drummer and Tim Shaw © Nik Strangelove (www.studiostrangelove.com)Film stills - Alban Renoird (www.eiafilms.co.uk)

Printed by Active Colour (www.activecolour.co.uk)

ISBN 978-1-905772-43-8

S t r e e t - a n - P o lS t . I v e s C o r n w a l l0 1 7 3 6 7 9 3 1 2 1m a i l @ m i l l e n n i u m g a l l e r y. c o . u kw w w . m i l l e n n i u m g a l l e r y. c o . u k

M I L L E N N I U M