'Leaf'
Outwith,Within
Selected from an open invitation for artists for Perth Sculpture Trail I was commissioned to provide works for three sites. Set within a beautiful riverside park on the banks of the Tay, directly across from the City of Perth, the trail features work by Doug Cocker & Tim Stead.
'Leaf'
The brief for this commission was to produce three ‘waymarkers’. My initial thoughts for the project were that I wanted my sculptures to relate to the beautiful natural surroundings and also to keep in mind ideas about why people might use the gardens. I began to think about how I feel when I go there for a walk and my reasons for doing so. Exercise & fresh air obviously but also peace, quiet and contemplation. This appealed to me as a strong theme for the basis of my proposals. To see the sculptures as ‘waymarkers’ to life. As indicators and pointers to peoples imagination as they stroll past, some days ignoring them but on others when in the right frame of mind they would take on a significance that they never realised existed before.
sketch
The brief also stated that the proposals should relate and be relevant to Perth. Researching in the Library I came across the books of Patrick Geddes who stayed in Perth for a while. I read his book titled ‘The World Without The World Within’ subtitled, (Sunday Talks With My Children). He discusses how we perceive reality in two ways; the things you do - as the ‘Out-World’, and thinking & imagination - as the ‘In-World’.
He goes on to explore how a walk in the garden acts as a stimulus to one’s thinking and imagination and how the constantly changing nature of the garden can be seen as an allegory for the cycle of life and death. How even in the midst of winter when all is dead in the garden, ‘scrape away a little earth, and you will see there a crocus-bud already piercing it’s way through.’ An incredible affirmation of renewal and the power of life over death.
'Seed' 'Bud'
sculptures are made from
Patinated Bronze, Black Granite & dyking stone
and are 1.5mts high