'One River / Three Days'
Rivers are often thought of as constants — familiar, dependable presences running through the city. Yet they are never still, continually shaped and re-shaped by rainfall, weather, season and time. One River / Three Days is a response to this continual change.
The work begins with daily flow-rate data for the River Ouse at Skelton, as it arrives at York. The prints offer a visual response to the data, rooted in observation, memory and imagination. Colour, shape and pattern are used to echo the river’s changing energy. Each print represents the same river on a different day.
On 3 July 2015, the flow rate was slow. Summer has taken hold. The river appears calm, heavy and introspective. Reflections linger, movement is subtle, and space opens up. Softer forms and restrained colour reflect stillness and quiet energy.
By contrast, 27 April 1978 was an average day. The river moves steadily through the landscape, reflective in places and animated in others. This is the river most people recognise — balanced, reliable and reassuring. The print explores this equilibrium through measured shapes, varied colours and a gentle rhythm.
The final print reflects 3 February 2004, when the river ran fast. Recent rain has charged the system with energy. The water is high, urgent and insistent. Heightened colour, jagged forms and energetic marks convey movement that resists stillness.
Together, these three monoprints invite viewers to reconsider the Ouse as a river in constant transition.
Data source: Daily flow-rate data for the River Ouse at Skelton, UK National River Flow Archive.