Seawater tinted with borrowed earth from each of the 7 summits surrounding Bergen. 2022

 

Over a 3 month period in 2022, a daily ritual was adhered to that sought to honour the 7 mountains surrounding the city of Bergen,

Norway. Six days of the week were devoted to 6 of the mountains, then on the 7th day (every Sunday) all 7 would be linked in one continuous effort.

Alternating the rotation each week, so as to give equal time to all.

​

Each journey started and ended on foot from the place of residence. Daily milage would vary from 35-50km and elevation gain between 1500-2700m per day. This dictated that 6-8 hours were spent with each mountain, running, climbing, making multiple ascents or circumnavigating their perimeter. Building an intimate relationship with each through time and effort. Willingly subjecting the body to being transformed by them, and the weather they help create.

​

Before the last descent each day a small sample of earth from a mountain’s summit would be collected to mix with local seawater collected earlier the same day. Settling as sediment it would tinge the water, which was then used to apply multiple washes to a canvas. The next time that same mountain was revisited the dried “sediment” was returned and another sample borrowed, to make a new daily wash.

Hundreds of washes compose each “painting”.

​

Photo:Nick FitzPatrick