Madam,

Thank you Patrick O’Brien for your excellent comments (‘Threat to ancient roots a new direction in battle over tree?’), summing up the issues of a large number of locals opposed to the siting of Tree on the Borth/Ynyslas beach.

As artists with 40 years’ experience of showing work in rural, urban and city landscapes, we are very aware of the need to fully understand a site – for once you step out of the ‘protection’ of galleries, you are always on someone else’s patch. An artist needs to consider this as well as the qualities of the landscape. In our case, the installations are temporary, but even so we believe it is the responsibility of the artist to tread lightly, sensitively and respectfully.

In the case of Tree, recently granted permission for 10 years maximum, something important has been revealed about the ‘ownership’ of landscape. Many people in Borth feel the site to be inappropriate for reasons of deeply-felt connectedness to the local landscape, feelings which are not selfish but rooted in a sense of community. People should have a right to decide and question what happens in their communal landscape, in fact the strength of this feeling can be a ‘barometer’ of the strength and health of a community.

If nothing else Tree has shown that there is something lacking in the Ceredigion Local Development Plan and in the decision-making process, because the language used refers essentially to buildings being placed in landscape not sculpture and public art. This has resulted in subjective interpretations of the criteria by all concerned.

It is interesting that the inspector (sole arbiter in the appeal), chose to effectively discount the visual impact assessment presented by those against Tree (although he did acknowledge that Tree would be both ‘alien’ in and visually prominent in the landscape) in favour of ‘cultural, economic and historical’ benefits which, by any measure, are highly speculative.

Perhaps as a positive step, the Welsh Arts Council, the Welsh Assembly, local authorities and other arts funding bodies should take up the challenge of creating appropriate criteria for the siting of art in landscape involving local planners, residents and art practitioners,

The opposition to Tree is not going away any time soon. It has caused discord in the community which is sad. Art in the public domain should be a gift and an experience that brings beauty, harmony and positivity into people’s lives. From our point of view as artists, it would be contradictory to show work in the face of opposition and where it would be seen as an intrusion.

Yours etc,

Lynne Dickens and Peter Jones, Ynyslas Gardens.

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