The Blacksmith's Needle

The Blacksmith's Needle was installed in 1997 following the BLINC conference at Carlisle in 1996, which was the final part of the twoyear touring exhibition, Fe - An Exploration of Iron Through The Senses. The six segments of the needle, each one relating to one of the five senses, were created at a series of five major forge-in events, in England, Scotland, Wales & Brittany, France, with the final segment, the 'sixth sense', being created at the conference in Carlisle. The touring exhibition, the conference and the production of the Needle were co-ordinated by Alan Dawson, Shona Johnson, Elspeth Bennie & Jois Hunter, with help from many artist blacksmiths up and down the country.

Quayside, Newcastle, UK - 1997