Fwd: What is art if not a donkey ?

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Begin forwarded message:

From: Sarah <bleurs@aol.com>
Date: 26 July 2010 08:56:03 GMT+01:00
To: "sue.smith@stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk" <sue.smith@stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk>, "tamash.lal@stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk" <tamash.lal@stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk>, "ashley.loveridge@stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk" <ashley.loveridge@stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk>, Lucy Heywood <lucyheywood@hotmail.com>, chris gardner <phscg@tiscali.co.uk>, "jo.bousfield@gloucestershire.gov.uk" <jo.bousfield@gloucestershire.gov.uk>
Subject: What is art if not a donkey ?

I recieved an interesting email this week asking me to write less about myself the weather and the donkeys and more about art and the artists that are walking with us on out trip. Initially I felt quite affronted that what I had been writing was not considered art, then it led me to reflect on the many conversations that I have had with the artists on our journey.
One of the points of our journey with the donkeys has been to provide a reflective space for artists to think about their work and hopefully be inspired by our gorgeous landscape, the donkeys and as this is England the weather.
Because of the nature of our journey , the sheer physicality of what we are doing I have not seen much "art". What I have come to understand though from discussions with our artists is that they have had to drop any preconcieved ideas of their art, what they hoped to create and achieve because what we are doing is do utterly consuming. Many of our artists have said ( and managed to not sound pretentious !) that the art is the whole experience, ie: the donkeys, the landscape, the walking , the weather and the opportunity to take z sideways step from our increasingly frantic, competitive and critical lifestyle has been really inspiring .
We have had a pretty cool week as far as artists go , john hegley walked with us and managed to write whilst walking
He ran a brilliant public workshop for 52 people ( no mean feat ) and entertained us royally around the fire . The beautiful martha tilston and maggie Boyle also came to sit by the fire and sing , I tell you it was truly wonderful .
Donkey walking: by john Hegley
Archie, merlin Chester teddy
The lord Was once upon your like
We are set and hiking ready
Moving hooves and tails a sway
Three are brown and one is grey
Down to Gloucester on our way
Nowwhere near to eton bray

Walking on at quite a rate
In the lanes with manes us straight
Bearing up beneath the weight
When they're done and free of freight
They eat grass til very late
And when the grass is down to stubble
My hand is grand with night time nibble
Archie Chester teddy merlin
You dint want your toes a curlin
If one don't apply the clipper
You can get aladdins slipper
With mandolin upon my back
As tomorrows getting black
In Gloucestershire and in July
Man and beast see eye to eye


So back to me the weather and the donkeys,
I continue to pray for sun although today is looking slightly ominous , the donkeys continue to be the star turn wherever we go and are awe inspiring in what they do, personally I am still loving every second of this and invite you to come and enjoy our journey . We will be at over farm  in gloucester on Friday night details on the website www.asiiwalkedout.com
Sarah blowers

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