Sea dreamers rest
holes, where timbers used to wind in ships to their final resting-places, are set eight resin blocks. At the seaward end of the island, white feathers have been captured in the resin blocks to symbolise the floating dreams of the people who may pass through, their aspirations for the present and the creation of a confident future. At the marina end of the island, the history has been captured by suspension of clay pipes in the resin blocks to reflect the passage of time, encapsulation of the dreams and the quiet contemplation of those who have gone before. Even then the work is reflective in different ways. During the day this work becomes part of the background of daily life and activity, a part of a whole. Yet, at night, the fibre optic lighting system embedded within the capstans sends subtle beams of blue through the resin blocks and out across the darkened waters of the Tyne, reminiscent of the lights that guide sailors to safety, to home and to rest. By the waters edge, on the very ends of the harbour island, people often stand to contemplate and dream, taking time from hectic lives to enjoy a moment of reflection. These natural view points have been recognised and marked by shoes, cast in bronze- men's rugged brogues mark the seaward end and ladies stilettos mark the marina end, which suggest the changes in lifestyles during the long history of the harbour island and the community that thrives around it.