IT may not have been the most conducive of settings in which to begin writing your first book. But that was not going to stop artist Nigel Slight from at least trying as he unveiled his new installation art work, entitled Writing The Unfinished Story Of War. Hoisted six feet into the air by a crane, supplied by local builders’ merchants Fowlers, and sitting at a desk which had been secured to a pallet he began to write.
Periodically he screwed up a piece of paper and threw it into a metal bin below – causing an almighty clang reverberating around the Bridport Arts Centre’s front courtyard.
For bemused passers by it was a chance to come face to face with the type of art normally not seen outside of the big cities.Explaining the motive behind the work, which is part of the Countertext09 exhibition, Mr Slight said: “I wanted to do something about war, especially as it was taking place in November, the month of Remembrance Day.
When the First World War ended the soldiers who fought in it were told the lie that it was the War to end all Wars.
“But here we are three, four generations on and it is clear that wars are never going to go away, indeed we seem further away from peace then ever before.
“And at the moment we are engaged in not one but two unjust wars that the governments of the UK and USA have got us involved in.
"Neither of these conflicts has a clear mandate and all they have done is caused death and ruin to both military personnel and an untold number of civilians."
Speaking on his return to earth the artist, who created it with fellow Countertext09 curator David Rogers, said it had been a worthwhile experience. He said: “If even a few people got something out of what I was trying to do then it was worth doing.”
Numerous works are also on temporary display at shops and business premises throughout the town from some 23 artists.