This engraving forms part of a project I began in July 2016 informed by drawings completed in the nearby village of Walcott, Norfolk.
‘Cold Cold Sea‘ focuses a visual lens upon coastal communities within historical, social, environmental, political and global contexts. It was completed towards the end of 2016.
The 15-20 Minutes part of the title refers to the grim topic of hypothermia.
Through research I discovered In cold sea water it takes about 15 to 20 minutes before you lose control of your arms and legs and hypothermia sets in. If you go beneath the water you drown…. The timings are, of course not exact, but I thought it made for an intriguing title!
I grew up on the North East coast and now live on the Norfolk coast, so the coast, the sea and its dangers remain a constant in my thinking and practice. Survivors of the 1953 Norfolk North Sea flood spoke of how cold the water was. Coastal defence, how land meets sea, lost landscapes and the sea coming in, were the key narratives and inspiration for my Winter engraving, completed for the Society of Wood Engravers Seasons boxed set.
