Green Marks is intended to evoke the deep roots of the native population of the city. Rather than focus on Bradford's industrial, literary or farming histories (which are valid but very common themes), the piece uses as its primary motifs the cup and ring-marked incisions and petroglyphs found over much of Ilkley and Rombalds Moors to the north of the city. The green colour was chosen for this piece to express the 'green and pleasant land' that we so often hear about in poetry!

As mentioned elsewhere on this site, I grew up around ancient megalithic monuments such as Avebury and Stonehenge, and have always felt a deep connection with them and the sense of deep history that they evoke. When I moved to Yorkshire, my interest naturally gravitated to what Julian Cope has called the 'sustained megalithic magic' of Ilkley Moor. In some respects, then, this piece is a personal reflection of my own connection to the city of Bradford, even though I am a newcomer here.

Thus, this piece explores the roots of the land, stretching back many millenia, a type of connection that naturally an indigenous population will feel the most strongly. What I find interesting, though, is how the British connection to the land has always been inclusive: anyone living in this land is encouraged to build up a connection with it in whatever form, and Green Marks represents mine.