Shute Farm Studio
Downhead
Shepton Mallet
BA4 4LQ
(01749) 880 412
(01749) 880 746
mail@shutefarmstudio.org.uk
www.shutefarmstudio.org.uk

“Sacred Cow”

This project was created by Fran Britten, the founder of Shute Farm Studios in Downhead near Shepton Mallet.  Shute Farm is a place of learning, creativity and self-discovery that is accessible to adults, children, the disabled and the disadvantaged. 

The Sacred Cow Project had been planned since 2001 when master carver and teacher Ganesh Bhat from South West India first visited Shute Farm.  Fran developed the Sacred Cow project around him to provide a focus to explore the place of the Cow in Hindu and English cultures.  Ganesh is a Brahmin and is descended from a family of priests.  He specialises in making religious pieces for Hindu temples and had been trained through a 10 year apprenticeship with a master stone carver in India. 

Ganesh was to spend two months at Shute Farm in the summer of 2003 creating a sculpture of a cow, which would then be dedicated to the cows lost in the UK through BSE, Foot and Mouth Disease and TB.

The “Sacred Cow” proposal to the Landmarks Project included the following overall aims and objectives:

• To make links between professional sculptors in Somerset and India and to create a carving of a Sacred Cow for Somerset.  This would involve employing Somerset sculptor Paul Fry for 20 days to work with Ganesh Bhat as an assistant.
• To use the project to build networks between sculptors in Somerset.
• To involve the community through related arts activities at the Farm (eg: schools workshops)
• To raise awareness of rural and farming issues in Somerset

Shute Farm was funded by Landmarks to employ Paul Fry and was asked to contribute to the Landmarks web showcase and the exhibition and seminar at the Brewhouse in September 2003. Mendip District Council also agreed to part-fund two schools workshops at Shute Farm that would be run alongside the sculpture project.

Outcomes

The main focus of the Sacred Cow project for Landmarks was the development of the work practice of Somerset sculptor Paul Fry.  Therefore, the outcomes of the project for Paul Fry are:

• An apprenticeship where teacher and assistant worked closely and harmoniously together.
• A clearer appreciation of Eastern carving processes and techniques and the artistic traditions within another culture.
• An understanding of how to develop representational forms and idioms.
• The sharing of processes with visitors as part of the involvement in a very public project
• The presentation of a slide presentation about the project.
• The creation of a large and permanent piece of sculpture.
• The development of new ideas for future pieces of sculpture.
• Making contacts with other sculptors and artists in Somerset.

In addition the other elements of the project had the following outcomes:

• The presentation of related workshops for schools and groups whom rarely have opportunities to work with professional artists, etc.
• The provision of teaching work for a range of Somerset artists
• The introduction of workshop participants to a “live” sculpture project and a sculptor from another culture.
• Raising awareness of farming issues through talks etc.
• Increasing the understanding of Eastern carving processes and artistic traditions through the talks and demonstrations by Ganesh Bhat.