A difficult spot to work and hard to get the ‘perfect’ shots, but this Burrow we made in Ohio fits its purpose well within the Global Burrow project.
..Circumstances.
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on December 5, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/circumstances/
Water
One day I dug a Burrow on a beach where the sand grains are small and mixed with mud and silt. I like this place and how soft and muddy this sand feels and how easy it is to work with. the thick felt works so well with it. We came back the next, also fairly wind still but now cold, day after the tides to see what the sea had left me. On the ridge that was left of the Burrow, I put another layer of that silty sand and we placed back the felt and made another set of photo’s. The next day we went back to check for the final time what the two tides and the incoming storm did to the Burrow and for the final shots .
These photo’s are made on day one, in coming weeks I will post the photo’s of the following days.
.
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on November 23, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/11/23/water/
Childhood dreams.
A friend saw me work and climbed this tree and sat there for a while, as I had done myself. A perfect hiding place where you can sit for hours and just dream.
When I told a woman about making a Burrow in this tree in Manchester (US), she started laughing and told me how as a kid she used to climb trees and sit in them for hours. If she was lost her family would know she would be sitting in a tree somewhere. Since then more people told me their stories about how they used to climb trees and about the favorite ones when they were kids.
I am tempted to dare you guys to find a big tree and climb it.. for old times sake. :)
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on November 17, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/11/17/childhood-dreams/
Both incredibly strong and easily distructable.
String as thin as I never used in my work before, it snapped so easily it made me sigh sometimes. I had to move carefully. Working made me concentrate on the silence in the building and breathing and it took me a long time to get it right but I enjoyed working on this one down at the lobby of the artist collective in Vlissingen, perhaps because of the silence and breathing part.. It has been a busy couple of months with a lot of work and pressure and its time to slow down and be silent for a bit longer.
Global burrows project van Elis Vermeulen is in licentie gegeven volgens een Creative Commons Naamsvermelding-NietCommercieel-GeenAfgeleideWerken 3.0 Unported licentie.
Gebaseerd op een werk op globalburrows.wordpress.com .
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on November 4, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/both-incredibly-strong-and-easily-distructable/
Belgian Ardennes.
It’s not often that I show work photo’s, but here we go.
Working in places like the Belgian Ardennes is good for so many reasons. Because of those silent woods which hardly exist in the Netherlands anymore, and because of the hills up to 500 mrt, the deer and wild boar tracks, brooklets, thick raindrops, beautiful white houses, lovely people, small chapels. So, despite being ill and therefor working slow, it was a good day in a good place.
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on October 29, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/10/29/belgian-ardennes/
Named after a sand bar.
Salt air, concrete, wind mills, seals,tarmac (asphalt), iron, fishermen and tourists from all around the globe.
ps. If you are interested in a really long piece about this spot, click here. But Wikepedia gave the short version for those living in the fast lane.
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on October 20, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/named-after-a-sand-bar/
Abandoned home,
They apparently packed in a hurry, leaving possessions and house to be claimed by nature. But the soil was good and black here in Ohio, United States.
(A thank you to Pamela MacGregor who took time to drive me around and helped me build two of the burrows I made in Ohio. Thanks Pam, the Poison Ivy, I am glad to say, was passed the sell-by date.:))
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on October 12, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/abandoned-home/
A man cave.
‘A man cave, sometimes a mantuary or manspace, is a male sanctuary, such as a specially equipped garage..’ (Wikepedia)
Battle creek, USA.
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on October 10, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/10/10/a-man-cave/
Global burrow artproject
I rested at a place called Glory in Ireland. A perfect setting to tell you I will be away for a bit. I am going to the US, to teach and work on the Global Burrow project. Let’s talk again when I come back next month.
Take care.
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on September 10, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/09/10/global-burrow-artproject/
Who wants to..
It was warm theat day of the opening and we had fun. the first time we made burrows in ( with such a perfect surroundings and buildings) city enviroment of this old harbour. Burrows in different sizes and shapes were build, some of them filled with the textile brought by ‘the public’ and some used what ever piece of thick felt they could find in the trunk of my car. Thank you to all who travelled, showed up, dug, talked and slept. You rock.
ps Global burrow project is featured in the Artnowmag. Nice.
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on September 6, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/who-wants-to/
Let there be light.
We switched on the lights yesterday late, one projection in the front and one in the back of the art-container.
The opening and making Burrows with the public is coming saturday.
Light projection Global burrow project, Vlissingen, Scheldekwartier. 3-11 September 2011.
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on September 2, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/09/02/let-there-be-light/
Quietude.
Working on this Burrow in Sweden was a treat. Good stones, lots of moss, very silent and working became even better when the wind and mild rain chased the mosquito’s away.
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on August 28, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/08/28/quietude/
Netherlands- Vlissingen- Scheldekwartier on the 3rd of september.
And become part of the project.
Global Burrows Project
—Vlissingen, NL
Visual artist Elis Vermeulen makes in different places int he world burrows, resting places. On september the 3rd, as an opening for the light projection int he top exhibit container at the ‘containerpaviljoen,’ Elis invites you to bring your own spade and textile and to make your own Burrow. the photo’s made will be used for publication. Visit the website of the project; globalburrows.wordpress.com
Zaterdag 3 september 2011
Opening vanaf 14.00
Machinefabriek aan het DOK
Scheldekwartier Vlissingen
In cooperation with deCultuurwerf/Beeldende Kunst and with thanks to Gemeente Vlissingen and the Provincie Zeeland.
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on August 23, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/08/23/go-set-your-tomtom-to-netherlands-vlissingen-scheldekwartier-on-the-3rd-of-september/
A woman and her sheep.
Her name is Suzanna Crampton, the sheep are called Zwartbles. Suzanna made fun of me when I asked her a couple of times to repeat that name, but you try understanding the Irish/American way of pronouncing Zwartbles.. :) Amazing creatures.
Suzanna now lives in Ireland on the farm that belonges to her family, a place as beautiful as the woman and her sheep.. (and her dogs and cats and horses.. ) I cannot begin to explain how this place feels like. Thank you Suzanna, for being out there.
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on August 17, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/08/17/a-woman-and-her-sheep/
Silent garden.
A silent walled garden near a silent home somewhere in Ireland. When I asked ‘Can I work there?’. People said, ‘Yeah sure, go ahead.’
When I said, ‘I will put everything back in right order.’ They said, ‘Don’t you worry.’
When I said ‘Are you sure no one would mind?’ ( I took the; ‘You have to ask an Irishman to tea five times.’ to heart. ) They said, ‘No, you just go ahead, no one would mind.’ So I set to work.
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on August 10, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/08/10/silent-garden/
Before dozing off..
I can now tell you that Global burrows is going to Vlissingen and we are happy to invite you all to come to and make your own Burrow on the opening day of the Global Burrow light presentation, September 3rd. 2011. (Jéé!!:))
Just bring your spade and your choise of textile to fill your Burrow and become part of this project. A very serious and extremely professional :) invite for both the exhibit and the burrow-making will follow with all the info on where exactly and the times and such, but set the date in your schedules now and come over.
(Signing off for a couple of days serious dozing off.)
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on July 29, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/07/29/before-dozing-off/
Swedish home.
Sweden. In this photo; Edo and Nanda. No website, no facebook. Just Edo and Nanda at their home in Sweden. A space where there are no sounds besides those made by this family, and that of the birds and the crackling fire at night, the horses whining, deer calling. A good place to think of and talk about safe havens.
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on July 25, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/swedish-home/
Dark and soft.
The woods were full of life.. millions of mosquito’s.. and building this Burrow needed some perseverance because of those little critters who came jumping out of the dark in search of our blood.
The photo’s just show you the end result and I can tell you, the Burrow became as perfect in real life as you see in these shots, a soft hiding place in a silent forrest made for dreams, old legends and winter storms.
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on July 16, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/07/16/dark-and-soft/
Skillful.
Part of the burrow project are the photo’s of the people. Some I know for years, others I have met and meet while I work on this project. Amazing people, kind people, people who make a difference. People Burrows.
Tamara Dees is an artist from the Netherlands and she worked on a project at the artist collective (Kipvis) where I have my studio. I have met Tamara a couple of years ago when we both worked on a land art project in Zeeuws Vlaanderen. She is not only very skillful and inventive but also kind. All of us at the collective thouroughly enjoyed having her ‘living’ in her tent at the exhibit space of Kipvis for a couple of weeks while she worked on her piece ‘Etude II (about Oban)’.
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on July 11, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/07/11/skillful/
Barn burrow.
This was the least challenging Burrow for my body to make so far and it shows, the burrow was so easy going, so sleepy soft, I might be looking at more haystacks from now on.:)
It almost feels as if the sun pushes its light into this Swedish barn.
Posted by Elis Vermeulen on July 6, 2011
http://globalburrows.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/barn-burrow/
