Redruth: Tinners Hounds, David Kemp

I remember the fuss when the dogs first appeared in Redruth.  There is always someone who does not think money should be spent on art, that does not see it's value.  I always loved them for their joyful quirkiness.  I think time has judged them a success! 

All the old grumbles are long forgotten though as they have been there since 2007 and are so much a part of the town now, no one remembers how much they did or did not cost.  Besides, very few things of that value last so long and will continue to last and be enjoyed so many.

When Geevor mine closed in 1990 it was a huge loss to the area.  Of course, the mine lives on as a tourist attraction with a museum where people can visit the mine underground.  There is a gap between a working mine and a tourist attraction that requires a lot of tidying.

David Kemp was based in West Cornwall near Botallack and when he received a call from a friend saying loads of old miners boots were being disposed of at Geevor, he went and rescued them.  David was a master at reinventing and reusing and giving things a legendary life.  I don't know what I would have done with a load of old miners boots, but David turned them in to dogs.

The story of the Hounds of Geevor is told in this post.  Set free from their lives in the mine, they roamed the cliffs of Geevor, looking for a home.  And they were given one in Redruth, the once capital of Cornish mining.  A commission was given to David to cast eight of them in tin and copper, the most frequently mined metals in the area.

The Tinners Hounds were greeted with a lot of joy from children especially, who love to climb upon them.  Some people grumbled and thought them a waste.  One was vandalised and unfortunately this coincided with a visit from a panel of judges visiting the town.  The damaged dog was sneakily replaced with one of the original wellington dog ones and luckily, no one noticed.  The judges loved the dogs and the town received a Town Centre Environment Award.

Sometimes, the hounds even like to get dressed up and have a little more fun than usual...  One year they were dressed up by the Graffitti Grannies who made them lovely outfits and even some sausages to eat.

The original miners boot dogs found various homes.  One is held by the Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery in Truro and they hope to display it later this year.  

David continued the theme with his well heeled bitches, a collection of dogs made from ladies boots.  I love the photos of the pack going for a walk at Marazion on the beach.  They liked to travel and even visited Scotland for a holiday at the Kilmorack Gallery.

Falmouth Art Gallery currently has one of his pieces on display.  A School of Palletes sits at St Ives train station.  Other pieces of his work sit all over the country.

While the Tinners Dogs and David's other works will continue to spread humour and fun, David passed away recently.  It won't be just in Cornwall that he will be missed.

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