When working on this project I became more and more aware of the long hours, days and nights that the Coastwatchers spent looking out to sea and air. Intensely looking, listening, searching, often with no result, and then: maybe, maybe a sighting. The doubts and the long hours and the responsibility to look, to record and transfer their findings.
As a painter I have spent many hours at this same lookout post. Also looking and searching the sea, the air, the cliffs and the Stags. In my case not trying to spot a ship or plane, but just trying to understand the relationships that these great elements have to each other. Standing on what was more than likely the same square meter as some of the Coastwatchers and also looking and waiting.
I have made paintings of light, space and doubt. They are based on what I saw from the lookout post. They often started with a clear image of the Stages of Broadhaven but as I built up layers of paint, scraped them back and reapplied paint, the images often faded, were painted over and absorbed into the surface of the painting. It was more and more unclear what I saw. Doubts replaced certainty, space and light replaced the Stags and sea. More and more I thought that the Coastwatchers also saw space and light and wondered if there was any tangible object or was it just light and space.
The series of paintings is entitled Sightings and refers to the work of the Coastwatchers and their command to look, to listen and to take note, while perhaps all the time knowing that this vast space of light and time was their only clear certainty.
Pat Harris
13.07.2023
Left to right, please click on each image to view.
Sighting LOP 63, 2020. Oil on linen. Dimensions 60x80cm. Courtesy of the Artist.
Sighting LOP 63, 2020. Oil on linen. Dimensions 100x130cm. Courtesy of the Artist.