Folkestone Abstract

This artwork is part of a huge concrete square situated along The Leas cliff top walk in the town of Folkestone. It is entitled 'Folk Stones'.

The artist is Mark Wallinger and the 19,240 individually numbered and laid pebbles represent the exact number of British soldiers killed on 1st July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme. 1,000,000 soldiers left from Folkestone Harbour to fight on the battlefields of France and Flanders.

My get pushed partner this week, Annie D, has challenged me to an abstract and although I haven't created this myself, I found it very moving and thought others might like it too.

[FBailey]

@annied Hi Annie, I will try to create something suitable for the challenge but thought you might like to see this example of local art.

[Suzanne]

A wonderful and very touching tribute to those young men. I really like the thought put into this

[Lee]

A very poigniant image. Your explanation of the numbered pebbles gives the image meaning.

[FBailey]

@suzanne234 @gamelee Thanks so much, it just struck such a chord.

[Annie D]

I love this and it fits the challenge well

[FBailey]

@annied Thank you! I guessed you might like this one:)

[sally agnew]

A very evocative image as one reflects on the dreadful waste of young lives .

[Ivan]

So sad...1 million soldiers through Folkestone...hard to imagine.

[Merrelyn]

A very moving tribute and as Sally said, such a waste of so many lives.

[Lisa Pouncy]

This along with your commentary gave me a lump in my throat. Super shot xx

[Bep]

A very touching tribute.

[Wendy]

A very dramatic and moving tribute to the true cost of the insanity of war.

[Miseria]

I wonder how long it took to write all the numbers?

Taken just 10 seconds each would be almost 54 hours of writing on stones! !

[*lynn]

so interesting and moving, your shot really caught my attention & made me wonder about it, thanks for sharing the story about it ☹️ fav

[John Sutton]

It's through memorials and pictures being taken of them that we will remember them. Fav.

[Pyrrhula]

Great shot of the art stones.

[Peter H]

It's a nice tribute.

[Connie Little]

Your explanation is wonderful. So moving, such a waste of lives because of the madness of war.

[Dawn]

Wow that is a very cool tribute fav

[Sarah]

Really moving. It would be great to be able to see the who installation.

[FBailey]

@hermann @ivan @merrelyn @psychographer @gijsje @farmreporter @miseria @lynnz @johnsutton @pyrrhula @peadar @littleconnie @Dawn @sarahlth Thanks very much for your comments - so very sad, really brings it home. Miseria made an interesting point about the time it must have taken just to number the stones. I will add a shot later today showing Folk Stones in its entirety.

[haskar]

Well find and cool tribute.

[tony gig]

Grand Tribute and lovely capture...fav

[FBailey]

@haskar @tonygig Thanks so much.

[Kathy]

I seemed to have skipped over this the other day. Goodness. To look at this and think about what it represents is spine chilling. War is hell.

[Rob Z]

An amazing tribute to those who died - and to think it was in one day. Such a sacrifice by so many young men - hard to comprehend.