Next to a tumbledown barn in Checkendon, Oxfordshire, stands this sculture by John Buckley. (He was more famous for putting a shark through a roof in Headington on the 41st anniversary of Nagasaki in 1986).
“The Nuba survival or Embrace” and is by John Buckley. John created the sculpture on his return from a visit to the Nuba Mountains in central Sudan in 2000- 2001 where he was a guest of the Nuba Rehabilitation, Relief and Development Organisation (N.R.R.D.O.) during the time of the genocide. He witnessed first hand a mass attempt to wipe out a cultural identity through ethnic cleansing, slavery and fierce attacks on the traditional homelands. More recently there has been a fragile cease fire in the Nuba Mountains (the same agreement that is currently barely holding in Darfur) and when John returned to the region he said that, despite the suffering, he experienced a sense of resistance living in everyone he met. The sculpture asks the question “What is the future for the Nuba people?” and reminds us that in this ever-shrinking world we are never far away from what is happening in places such as the Nuba Mountains.
To me art is a funny thing - it can bring out many emotions and one piece of art can mean many different things to many different people.
I know the story and what it represents but this site does have a haunting sadness to it - i almost felt compelled to come here to see it with my own eyes.
So on a wet and rainy sunday at 6am - i set off - three and a half hours later i arrived to witness this beauty face to face.
I have to say i found the place quite emotional and it did mess with me a little - maybe because i had my own reasons for visiting and this visit meant something to me.
Deep down i know its to do with my mothers passing early last year and i had some sort of connection to the images i saw in a earlier post.
All i can say is - i felt a massive weight had lifted off my shoulders ever since i visited here.
So for that alone - thank you
Some pictures i took on the day:
DSC_0055 (2) by tazong the explorer, on Flickr
DSC_0059 (2) by tazong the explorer, on Flickr
DSC_0062 (2) by tazong the explorer, on Flickr
DSC_0064 (2) by tazong the explorer, on Flickr
DSC_0067 (2) by tazong the explorer, on Flickr
DSC_0071 (2) by tazong the explorer, on Flickr
DSC_0052 (2) by tazong the explorer, on Flickr
This is the small explore video i made - i put a little humour in as at the time i needed it
I spent a lot of time on this video of "betty" flying overhead - all i can say is i am very proud of it and it means a lot to me.
Thanks for watching and hope you enjoy
“The Nuba survival or Embrace” and is by John Buckley. John created the sculpture on his return from a visit to the Nuba Mountains in central Sudan in 2000- 2001 where he was a guest of the Nuba Rehabilitation, Relief and Development Organisation (N.R.R.D.O.) during the time of the genocide. He witnessed first hand a mass attempt to wipe out a cultural identity through ethnic cleansing, slavery and fierce attacks on the traditional homelands. More recently there has been a fragile cease fire in the Nuba Mountains (the same agreement that is currently barely holding in Darfur) and when John returned to the region he said that, despite the suffering, he experienced a sense of resistance living in everyone he met. The sculpture asks the question “What is the future for the Nuba people?” and reminds us that in this ever-shrinking world we are never far away from what is happening in places such as the Nuba Mountains.
To me art is a funny thing - it can bring out many emotions and one piece of art can mean many different things to many different people.
I know the story and what it represents but this site does have a haunting sadness to it - i almost felt compelled to come here to see it with my own eyes.
So on a wet and rainy sunday at 6am - i set off - three and a half hours later i arrived to witness this beauty face to face.
I have to say i found the place quite emotional and it did mess with me a little - maybe because i had my own reasons for visiting and this visit meant something to me.
Deep down i know its to do with my mothers passing early last year and i had some sort of connection to the images i saw in a earlier post.
All i can say is - i felt a massive weight had lifted off my shoulders ever since i visited here.
So for that alone - thank you
Some pictures i took on the day:
DSC_0055 (2) by tazong the explorer, on FlickrDSC_0059 (2) by tazong the explorer, on FlickrDSC_0062 (2) by tazong the explorer, on FlickrDSC_0064 (2) by tazong the explorer, on FlickrDSC_0067 (2) by tazong the explorer, on FlickrDSC_0071 (2) by tazong the explorer, on FlickrDSC_0052 (2) by tazong the explorer, on FlickrThis is the small explore video i made - i put a little humour in as at the time i needed it
I spent a lot of time on this video of "betty" flying overhead - all i can say is i am very proud of it and it means a lot to me.
Thanks for watching and hope you enjoy
