Posted: 03/08/21

Sunset 23 June 2021 - KAREN VAN DIESEN

I understood why The Hull Vigil is a work of art.  I felt like I was looking at a painting of a circular microcosm of the world.  But the painting wasn’t still.  There were many subtle changes in light, sound, temperature and movement.  Everything was muted by height and the glass which made it a peaceful experience.  An experience only shared by the birds and Wilberforce.

But a car arrived and my parents and my sister appeared waving and taking photos.  At the same time the light in the box became brighter than the sun and my reflection was framed by it.  Suddenly, I had become the focus of the painting.  When I moved from one end of the box to the other, my (tiny) sister responded and moved to a different place in the painting.  I saw my dad tell some passers-by to look up and we waved at each other.  I felt like the Queen of Hull for a few moments.