Amazeballs
12 June 2024
17.55 to 21.30
This walk is part treasure hunt part open air art exhibition. Some call them chalk stones others say balls. Whichever your preference I hope you will be amazed by them! Back in 2002, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester & the Edward James Foundation at West Dean had 14 chalk stones placed at intervals along a 5 mile route that links West Dean with the South Downs Way. These enormous balls were the work of sculptor, photographer and environmentalist Andy Goldsworthy. However, Goldsworthy’s art is unique among his peers. Much of it is temporary and incorporates site-specific materials.
When asked to work with chalk he wrote that: “for me chalk has mythical, magical properties. The idea of digging a whole and finding it white seems totally contradictory. It runs against all my ideas about what is under the ground. Dig a hole up north and it’s dark and earthy, so to dig a hole in Sussex and to find chalk, so absolutely pristine and pure and white, I felt it was like finding the sky in the ground” In keeping with the ephemeral nature of Goldsworthy’s work, and with chalk being such a soft rock, these balls were never supposed to last. The expectation was that within a few short years weathering would return the chalk to the ground. However, 22 years on, the majority of the stones are still visible……if you know where to look. Join this walk cum treasure hunt to find them and review Goldsworthy’s art. This is a linear walk. The start time is very specific as we will begin by taking the 17.55 bus from Cocking Hill to West Dean.
