THE GLORY OF THE GARDEN

(WORKING TITLE)

In rural Herefordshire there lives a man called Paul or ‘Rik’ Jones who has created ‘Hereford Alternative Arts Centre’. This is a long running project on an acre and a half of land that he bought back in the 1970s and has lived on ever since. It’s comprised of dozens of individual projects, often living or sleeping spaces, both above ground and beneath the surface. Rik is also very much a scavenger, making use of thousands of free or cheaply acquired objects. His centre is an artwork and a living space combined.

I spent many weeks with Rik in 2016 making a film in collaboration with him about his creation. Every year he aims to open to the public for a couple of days for a rare glimpse of his world. The film is about Rik’s place, our time together and it concludes with the arrival and responses of the visitors.