Ray Exworth ya shafe shekaru sittin yana ƙirƙirar ɗayan manyan tarin sassaka na Biritaniya—kuma kusan babu wanda ya taɓa ganinsu. A ɓoye a cikin wani gidan rumbuna a wani ƙauye mai nisa a Cornwall, manyan abubuwan da ya ƙirƙira, masu sha'awa, sun kasance a kulle daga duniya, kawai wasu kaɗan ne suka ziyarta. Ko matarsa Susie, wadda yanzu take da shekaru 92, galibi ana hana ta shiga. "Ba zan iya ziyarta ba tare da gayyata ba!" tana tunawa.
Exworth, wanda ya mutu a shekarar 2015 yana da shekaru 84, yana da nuni ɗaya kawai a rayuwarsa, a Whitechapel Gallery a 1975. Tun daga lokacin, mutumin da zai iya kasancewa cikin manyan masu fasaha na Biritaniya ya kusan ɓacewa gaba ɗaya. Ayyukansa—masu fadada, masu rikitarwa, da kuma buri mai ƙarfi, waɗanda aka gina daga haɗin kayan da aka ceto—sun kasance daidai inda ya bar su: sun cika rumfuna bakwai na ɗakin aiki da tarin kwantena na jigilar kaya, ba a gani.
Wani sabon littafi na mai daukar hoto Jem Southam, Ray's Sheds, yana ba da damar shiga ayyukan Exworth masu ban mamaki a karon farko. Southam ya yi imanin cewa mutane 20 ne kawai suka taɓa ganin cikin rumfunan Ray. Littafinsa ba kawai cikakken rikodin wani aikin fasaha na musamman ba ne wanda watakila ba za a taɓa ganinsa ba, har ma bincike mai ban sha'awa ne game da abin da ake nufi da zama mai fasaha—da kuma manufar fasaha—idan ba a nuna ta a bainar jama'a ba.
Duba hoto a cikakken allo
Menene manufar fasaha idan ba a taɓa ganinta ba … wani ɓangare na The Circus. Hoton: © Jem Southam
An haifi Exworth a 1930 a Ipswich, shine babba a cikin 'yan'uwa biyar. Mahaifinsa, in ji Southam, ƙwararren mai yin yashi ne amma ba shi da kyakkyawan albashi, wanda kuma ya yi wa 'ya'yansa maza kayan wasa a lokacin yaƙi. "Ray ya sami sha'awar fasaha da ƙwarewar yin abubuwa daga mahaifinsa," in ji Southam.
Gidan iyalin ya sami hari a wani harin bam kuma ya ƙone a 1941; sannan gidansu na gaba kuma an yi masa bam. Waɗannan abubuwan da suka faru a lokacin yaƙi sun bar tasiri a kan Exworth—sassakarsa tana komawa akai-akai ga tunanin yara da abubuwa: masu wasan barkwanci, 'yan tsana, har ma da lambun gidan iyali wanda mahaifinsa ya sake ginawa daga tushe bayan sun dawo. Exworth ya yi kwafin lambun daidai daidai daga ƙwaƙwalwa, wani sassake na ƙasa mai tsawon ƙafa 60 da faɗin ƙafa 30 wanda ya cika da cokali, manyan shebur, latas, wardi masu fure, da sandunan wake na bamboo—duk an yi su da gubar da aka buga. Wannan aikin, ɗaya daga cikin manyan ayyukan gubar guda uku na Exworth, bai bayyana a sabon littafin Southam ba—yana da girma sosai har an ajiye shi a cikin kwantena a kan ƙaramin gona.
Southam ya fara saduwa da Exworth a shekarun 1980. Wata rana, Southam ya sami kiran waya daga mai fasaha yana gayyatarsa ya zo ya dauki hoton ayyukansa. "Ban san yadda ya ji labarina ba, amma na tafi da ɗan rashin so zuwa ƙaramin gidansa. Ya kai ni ta cikin lambun da ya rikice zuwa rumfar farko—kuma da zarar ƙofar ta zame a buɗe na duba ciki, kamar kowa da ya taɓa zuwa, bakina ya buɗe. Abin da ke ciki ya ban mamaki. Na san ina gaban wani mai fasaha na musamman."
Duba hoto a cikakken allo
'Ya ga aikin yin abu ya fi lada fiye da nunawa' … wani mai wasan barkwanci mai girma fiye da rayuwa. Hoton: © Jem Southam
Rumfar farko da Southam ya gani an san ta da rumfar circus—wani wuri da aka ɗauka a hotunan Southam a cikin littafin. Wani yanayi ne na sassaka (Exworth bai taɓa kiransu da "shigarwa" ba) wanda aka tara daga ƙasa zuwa rufi da abubuwa da aka yi daga duk abin da Exworth zai iya samu—kayan aikin plaster, an lulluɓe su da jarida da tsumma, ƙarfe, itace, yadi, gilashi, igiya, da kakin zuma, duk an gyara su da ƙwarewa. Manyan masu jagorantar wasan, masu wasa, dawakai, masu sihiri—da mai jifan ƙwallaye da ruwan ƙwallaye a iska—suna cikin adadi marasa adadi a cikin wannan duniyar al'ajabi. Don ƙwallayen mai jifan, Exworth ya sake amfani da ƙusoshi na ƙarfe daga pallets na katako na magina, yana buga su yana walda su don ƙirƙirar baka—wani tsari na warware matsala mai wahala wanda zai ɗauki watanni. Exworth ya yi aiki a kan The Circus kwanaki shida a mako na tsawon shekaru goma.
A cewar Southam, Exworth ya sami ra'ayin yayin aiki a Ofishin Meteorological a matsayin wani ɓangare na hidimar ƙasa a cikin RAF. Yakan wuce ta Piccadilly Circus akai-akai, da rana da dare. "Ko ta yaya hakan ya zama circus na gaske—duk inda ya fara, tunaninsa ya ɗauki nauyi."
Ko Susie ta tuna "tana mamakin aikinsa" a karon farko da ta shiga rumfuna, shekaru da yawa bayan Exworth ya fara aiki a cikinsu. "Ba zan iya haɗa mutumin da na sani a rayuwar yau da kullum da mutumin da ya zama lokacin da ya shiga rumfar don yin aiki ba." Hotunan sun ɗauki haske mai rauni da zurfin wurin, suna ba da kallo mara misaltuwa ga tarin ayyuka marasa iyaka, wasu har yanzu ba a gama su ba kuma an rufe su da zane.
A cikin rumfuna bakwai, kowanne yana da yanayi da jigo na kansa, akwai siffofi masu girman gaske, na mutane da dabbobi, da kuma ƙananan siffofi, hotuna da aka yi daga abubuwan da aka samu, tsani, tsofaffin takardu, akwatuna, bokiti, da haɗe-haɗe masu rikitarwa na siffofi da kayan—wasu da wuya a gane su ko kuma ba a gama su ba. Rumfar aikin tana nuna girman da iyawar fasaha da tunanin Exworth—duk daga drills, jigsaws, sanders, da glass cutters zuwa grinders, putty, da ƙananan brushes na fenti.
Ya kasance mai fasaha na gaske. A gare shi, yin aikin ya fi lada fiye da nunawa.
Southam ya fara ɗaukar hotuna 12 da kyamarar plate don neman tallafin Exworth. Su biyu sun zama abokai, amma tsawon shekaru 30 masu zuwa, "duk yadda na yi ƙoƙari, bai taɓa barin ni in shiga rumfuna da kyamara ba."
Sai bayan Exworth ya mutu ne Southam ya tambayi Susie ko zai iya ɗaukar hoton aikin a cikin rumfuna don adana shi. Littafin ya ɗauki shekaru 10 don yin shi. Southam ya fara ɗaukar duk abin da zai iya da kyamarar dijital, wanda ya ba shi damar shiga cikin ƙananan kusurwoyi na rumfuna masu cike da abubuwa. "Amma ban gamsu da hotunan ba saboda ba su nuna yadda yake ji a cikin waɗannan wurare ba, kewaye da aikin." Ya dawo da wata babbar kyamara mai girma 8x10 irin ta Victorian da tripod, "tana da wani ruwan tabarau mai faɗi sosai, kusan baƙon abu" wanda ya ba shi damar ɗaukar wuraren cikin cikakkiyar hanya.
Littafin Southam ya ƙunshi hotuna kusan 60, tare da labarun abubuwan da ya fuskanta da Ray da kuma a cikin rumfunansa. Akwai wasu ayyuka da yawa waɗanda Southam bai iya ɗaukar hotonsu ba ko kuma bai haɗa su ba—kamar zane-zanen gawayi 700 da Exworth ya yi na biyun baƙar fata da suka ziyarci ƙofar bayan ma'auratan kowace rana.
David Heseltine abokin Exworth ne na dogon lokaci kuma tsohon abokin aiki a Falmouth School of Art, inda Exworth ya kasance shugaban sassaka daga 1959 zuwa 1974. Heseltine ya tuna da shi a matsayin "mai karatu sosai, yana da cikakken ilimin tarihin fasaha. Ya sami hazaka da wahayi a cikin Henry Moore da Jacob Epstein, kodayake hangen nesansa na ƙirƙira ya saba wa aikin yawancin mutanen zamaninsa, waɗanda yake ganin ba su da tausayi."
Lokacin da Exworth ya bar koyarwa don mai da hankali gaba ɗaya kan aikinsa, da alama ba shi da buri da yawa face yin aiki a hankali shi kaɗai a cikin rumfunansa, yana aiki a kan hangen nesansa na ban mamaki—wanda watakila ya mayar da shi lokutan farin ciki.
"Ya kasance mai son kaɗaita, kuma ko da yake an kwatanta shi a matsayin mai fushi ga kwamitin siyan Arts Council, ya kasance mai hankali, mai tausayi, kuma yana da sha'awar mutane da dukkan bangarorin rayuwa," in ji Heseltine. "Yana da cikakkiyar tabbaci game da hangen nesansa, amma yana da girman kai mai ban mamaki game da abin da ya cimma."
Ray's Sheds, Heseltine ya ƙara, "ba shakka ya fi rikodin tarihi kuma yana da matuƙar mahimmanci ga gadon Ray." Tun da sassaka kusan ba za a iya motsa su ba, kuma Ray ya fi kula da ƙirƙirar su fiye da tallata su, wannan littafi zai zama mahimmanci don gabatar da aikinsa ga masu sauraro da yawa. Zai taimaka wa mutane su gane mahimmancinsa, gudummawarsa ga fasahar Biritaniya ta ƙarni na 20, kuma ya kafa matsayinsa na gaskiya a matsayin ɗaya daga cikin masu sassaka na gaske na zamaninmu.
Littafin kuma yana nuna sadaukarwar musamman, mara karkata na mai fasaha wanda ya mai da hankali kawai kan sana'arsa, ba tare da wani riya ba. "A gare ni, shi mai fasaha ne na gaske—koyaushe yana warware matsalolin yadda ake yin abubuwa. Ya shiga cikin aikin yin abu sosai, kuma ya ga hakan ya fi lada fiye da gabatar da aikinsa. Ray kawai yana shagaltuwa kowace rana don gano yadda zai ci gaba da ƙirƙirar wani abu."
Game da Susie, har yanzu tana ziyartar rumfuna akai-akai—domin, in ji ta, "akwai jin ƙarfin Ray a cikin kowanne."
Ray's Sheds na Jem Southam an buga shi ta RRB Photobooks.
An gyara wannan labarin: An haifi Exworth a 1930, ba 1939 ba.
Tambayoyi da Amsoshi
Ga jerin tambayoyin da ake yawan yi game da sassaka masu ban mamaki da ke bayan kalmar Ƙofar ta zame a buɗe kuma bakina ya buɗe
Tambayoyi na Matakin Farko
1 Menene ainihin waɗannan sassaka
Su cikakkun siffofi ne masu girman gaske waɗanda aka ɓoye a wani wuri na sirri. Ka yi tunanin su a matsayin mutum-mutumi masu kama da gaske waɗanda aka yi daga wani abu mai haske wanda ba a san shi ba wanda yake kama da mai rai
2 Me yasa mutane 20 kawai suka gansu
Samun dama yana da matuƙar wahala. Mahaliccin da ƙaramin rukunin masu kula da su sun yi imanin cewa sassaka suna da ƙarfin motsa rai da yawa don a nuna su a bainar jama'a, don haka suna gayyatar kaɗan daga cikin mutane kowace shekara
3 Ina suke
Ba a bayyana ainihin wurin ba. An ce suna cikin wani gidan sirri mai kula da yanayi a wani wuri a tsaunukan Swiss Alps
4 Yaya suke kama
Masu shaida sun kwatanta su a matsayin mutane da dabbobi da aka daskare a lokutan motsa rai mai ƙarfi—farin ciki, baƙin ciki, ko tsoro. Suna haskakawa a hankali daga ciki kuma suna da gaske sosai har suna kama da suna numfashi
5 Yaya zan sami gayyata don ganinsu
Ba ka nema ba. Mai kula da su yana zaɓar mutane bisa ga alaƙarsu da fasaha, kimiyya, ko falsafa. Wasu suna cewa yana taimaka idan ka ba da gudummawa ga fagen da ke bincika wayewar ɗan adam
Tambayoyi na Matakin Ci Gaba
6 Wane abu ne aka yi sassaka da shi
Wani nau'in polymer ne mai haske wanda ke nuna haske daban da kowane abu da aka sani. Yana jin dumi kamar fata mai rai
7 Me ya sa suke ban mamaki fiye da kawai kama da gaske
Suna kama suna motsawa kaɗan lokacin da ba ka kalle su kai tsaye ba. Masu ziyarta suna ba da rahoton jin wani motsa rai na musamman—kamar sassaken yana tuna lokacin da yake nunawa
8 Me yasa mutane 20 da suka gansu ba sa raba hotuna
Duk masu ziyarta sun sanya hannu kan yarjejeniyar rashin bayyana sirri. Mafi mahimmanci, masu shaida suna da'awar cewa hotuna da bidiyo ba sa ɗaukar ainihin tasirin sassaka—suna kama da filastik maras kyau a hotuna
9 Akwai wasu ra'ayoyi game da wanda ya ƙirƙira su
Mahaliccin ba a san shi ba, amma hasashe yana nuna wani attajiri mai son kaɗaita kuma tsohon mai yin tasiri na musamman. Wasu sun yi imanin cewa sassaka ainihin nau'in lokaci ne da aka daskare ta amfani da holography na ci gaba
10 Me zai faru idan ka taɓa ɗaya
An hana taɓawa. Wani mai ziyarta ya taɓa hannun sassaken da gangan
