(Heron and Swan) 1990
Crier of Claife 1990
"Heron and Swan was constructed in the playground of Satterthwaite Primary School which lies on the road into the forest. It has recently been removed. The Crier of Claife was made in the Lakes school with the pupils' assistance. It told the story of a local legend around the frame with a central image based on the artists interpretation of the story."
(Cry Dogs 1990)
This sculpture was sited on the Ridding Wood trail until it was removed.
Domestic Appliance 1987
"For a long time I was preoccupied with the quiet undramatic anguish of lives moulded by the suffering caused by aggression in a technological culture. This, the works of Beckett, Bond and many others was thrown into a melting pot that created this mesh between man and machine."
Cloak of Seasons 1995
Seed 1995
Light on Shadow 1995
Threshold Figure 1997
Permanent sculptures sited throughout Britain. 1997 Public Installation for Earth Summit 11 at UN. New York, USA 1997 National Dunblane Memorial. 1997, Ice installation and dance collaboration commissioned by Brighton Festival. Forthcoming: Sculptures in Belgium and Austria.
"Whatever faith or beliefs we carry, the tides of nature move around and through us. Every breath we take is an affirmation of our connection with the earth. I like to create sculpture on site, with materials found locally. In this way I seek to encourage a dynamic relationship between the people, the site and the sculpture."
The Arrival 1993
"The Arrival is a tranquil fusion of organic forms; a meditative, site specific sculpture with a functional purpose. On entering the structure its form enfolds the visitor offering shelter and a vantage point from which to ponder the view of distant hillsides."
Map 1991
Project to cast and invert a hill.
"Map is concerned with a process, more than the creation of an image. To invert something could be seen as contrary, absurd or impossible. Upside down and complete, 'Map' is a three dimensional record of a significant part of the earth's surface, as well as a period of time."
The Sound of Running Water 1986
Black Tower with sarcophagus 1989
(Caged Wall 1987)
(Raised Wall 1993)
"Stone is predominant in the landscape of the Lake District. In the sculpture I have broken the direct relationship between stone and Earth, by lifting up the dry - stone wall and putting it on a wooden construction."
Inside Outside 1994
(Declining 1994)
"From the Oak's dead, misshapen mass a new organic shape evolves, manifestly intrusive, web - like, in its challenge to Man and Nature."
In Celebration of a Tor 1993
Slate Flight 1995
Slate Growth 1995
"I want to free myself (and the viewer) into a refreshing use of stone, and to create a sculptural form that openly celebrates a particular natural tor that symbolises this silurian land."
Light Column I 1994
Light Columns II and III 1995
Fellow of the Society of Glass Technology, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Hon. Fellow of the University of Sunderland. Responsible for initiating the Glass and Ceramics course at Sunderland University. Former treasurer and secretary of British Artists in Glass. Former member of the Crafts panel at Northern Arts. "My work is mostly in glass or in glass combined with other materials, particularly stone. There are pieces in most of the major glass collections and work has been exhibited in many international exhibitions. Those in Grizedale Forest are over 3 metres tall. I am the author of a book "A Dictionary of Glass" published by A & C Black and by the University of Pennsylvania. Another book is to be published soon by the Society of Glass Technology.
(Untitled 1983)
Habitat 1994
1997 Artist in ResidenceIrwell Sculpture Trail, Lancs.
1999 Artist in ResidenceVale Royal, Cheshire, Sunderland, Mowbray Park, Hartlepool, Ward Jackson Park
“My work explores our relationship with the natural world. The result, whether abstract or representational, celebrates the creative possibilities of the wood, which as a material is so fundamental to civilisation. By extension or metaphor, wood is life, and the work thereby celebrates life in all its diversity."
Mammoth 1985
Between Elephants 1995
Her Insistent Stream 1985
White Water 1985
Only One Fish Left 1996
Natural Forces 1996
(Decomposers 1996)
"Only One Fish Left. When fish were spawning in the 19th century, they were so plentiful you could walk across the water on their scaly silver highway…The past over fishing and ever - increasing problem of world pollution resulted in there being only one fish left by the end of the 21st century."
Sundial 1991
Axe Life Cycle 1991
Time Flies 1991
"In the 'Axe Life Cycle', my concerns with cycles and tools have come together. I hope I have turned the usual associations of the axe literally on their head."
(Cathedral of Unknown Desires 1992)
"In the days gone by, when I was still young, I had the feeling it all happened at the end of the belly, the area where the legs begin. Later, when the children grew up, I thought it to be between the ears. Now I am over fifty and as far as I'm concerned it's somewhere around the navel, finally the place where we started from."
Hive 1996
Wind Thrust 1996
Drums etc.1999
"In 'Windblown' the energy of the wind brings life through movement. The four points of axis amplify the wind for us, the wings harness its chaos and flow. As a family they interact in a playful manner, disagreeing, creating eddies, stealing each others wind, then finally moving together."
Mobile Settlement 1998
"The projects show a hybrid of sculptural autonomy of objects and a functionality for everyday experience which questions artistic autonomy at the same time."
(Untitled 1980)
(Untitled 1980)
"The sculptures I sited in Grizedale were intended to appeal more to the senses than to the intellect, and those with little knowledge of modern art will be able to understand them if they approach them with an open mind."
The Arrival 1993
1991 - 92 Residency, Chiltern Sculpture Trail 1996 Residency, European Ceramic Work Centre, Holland. 1996 Exhibition, Norbury Park, Surrey 1996 The Gardens
of Gaia Kent. 1996 Kielder Forest, Northumberland.
"Harbour is an attempt to build a piece of work which is in empathy with its environment without being sentimental, romantic or backward looking, and which takes on both the scale and the natural beauty of the forest."
(Last Stand at Boggle Crag 1985)
(Shootin Moose 1985)
(Chieftan in a Hot Spot 1985)
Adventure Playground 1985
Grasshopper 1985
Stag Herd Roof 1994
"A disused building now partially re-roofed - deer emerge from the forest - inquisitive and nervous. They explore and inhabit the new space, standing staggered (Stag-Herd) still and alert - a futile attempt to blend into new surroundings."
Temple of the Forest 1994
"I have learned that successful sculptures in the forest are those which have managed to reveal the secret of the forest. In my case I concentrated to bring up quartz lines shown on the surface of the carved form."
10 one - person shows 1977- 99 including Arnolfini, Southampton City Gallery, M.A.C. Birmingham, Quay arts, Newport, Isle of White. 15 mixed shows 1977 - 97 of landscape based work including I.C.A., Mostyn Gallery, Sunderland Art Centre, Pallant House, Chichester. Residencies: Guernsey 1989, Ventnor 1996.
"I make ephemeral works using indigenous materials in response to the structure and feel of the landscape, which are then developed in photo works and sculptures. Four aesthetic terms, - sabi, wabi, aware, yugen, convey the essence of my approach, allied to a 'mythopoeic' sense of life."
Pyxis 1986
"The quarry's rubble heaps and voids
hold evidence of great exertion by mankind as well as by nature. 'Pyxis' represents the centring of these forces, both physically and symbolically. Providing an axis for the viewer's acuity of perception, the stone block acts as a receptacle for these energies. It is a Requiem for the quarry as well as for the ages."
We Free Kings 1994
Pacus 1994
"My work must have meaning and context. Ideas on design and construction are stimulated by the specific site, landscape and related themes to where the work will be placed. My goals are the marriage of function and aesthetics, work on a human scale, objects that touch people."
Seven Spires 1984
Sidewinder 1984
Woven Ash Ball 1984
Taking a Wall for a Walk 1984
Cone 1986
"The relationship between wall and tree will always be a fragile one. Both the wall and trees are vulnerable to the wind. The rock prevents deep rooting and a blown down tree might break a wall. I like the delicacy and balance of this relationship - wind, stone, wood. In Taking a Wall for a Walk I wanted to make a work that uses the sense of a line being in sympathy with place, one that goes around a tree rather than cutting the tree down…"
Sidewinder 1984-5
“Snow and wind damaged pine trees, growing bent, thinned out and pinned together with metal rods. Sixty feet long. ‘Sidewinder’ slithers and twists over rocks and between trees.”
Seven Spires 1984
“In making the spires I wanted to concentrate the feelings I get from within a pine wood of an almost desperate growth and energy driving upward. The spire also seemed appropriate with its references to churches and, in particular, the Cathedral with its architectural use of lines leading the eye skyward. I also felt a similarity in the subdued brown light and stillness found both in cathedrals and pine forests.”
Rabbit 1980
Sheep & Drystone Wall 1980)
Rabbit 2 1980)
Figure in a Pond 1980
Figure in a Pond 2 1980
(1250 Willows in a Coniferous Forest 1997)
"I'd like my sculptures to be a part of the environment and not to dominate Nature. I want to leave the spectator with opportunities of finding touch stones with natural and man-made things within the sculpture."
Quarry Structure 1977
Cliff Structure 1978
Dry Stone Passage 1982
Hollow Spruce 1980
Windblow Shelter 1988
"The construction system used in 'Quarry Structure' was originally conceived as a bridging device to follow the line of a stream. Unexpectedly I found the quarry site which immediately made sense of the idea. The quarry had been fenced off, overgrown and forgotten. The structure, nosing out into the path, acts as a device to open up the space, both physically and visually."
Plague Dog 1984
Confrontation 1984
"From the Oak's dead, misshapen mass a new organic shape evolves, manifestly intrusive, web - like, in its challenge to Man and Nature."
The Living Wood 1991
Spiral Growth 1991
Circle of Logs 1991
Turning Point 1991
Water Wheel 1991
Silurian Seat 1991
Addison Seat 1995
" Spiral Growth: In the middle of a footpath two interlocking walls of solid oak spiral upwards to a height of nine feet. The spirals are symbols of growth. The sculpture turns and grows as the trees twist and rise above."
For the Birds 1991
30 environmental site works 1985 - 97,
42 exhibitions 1986 - 97, 12 residencies 1986 - 96 Works are world wide but concentrated mainly in America.
"I believe that the creativity of artists can be applied to real world problems and can have an effect on urgent social and environmental issues. As I combine aesthetics and creativity in my work to reclaim and mitigate sites suffering from human damage, other people have found inspiration to participate in restoring and protecting their natural heritage, and have found joy in observing the moment when wildlife and art interact."
www.getty.edu/artsednet/images/Ecology
Circus 1988
Fish Fork 1988
(The Langdale Langtail 1988)
Waymarkers 1997
Sethera 1998
Tread Quietly into that Good Night 1999
"I made 'Sethera' in response to the environment around me at Grizedale. The undulating hills are populated by sheep. Yan, tan, tethera, methera, pump, sethera is the Cumbrian dialect for counting sheep. I was fascinated by how closely the sheep resembled the landscape they live on. Each sheep is like a small gathering of hills."
Waymarkers 1997
Sethera 1998
Tread Quietly into that Good Night 1999
"I made 'Sethera' in response to the environment around me at Grizedale. The undulating hills are populated by sheep. Yan, tan, tethera, methera, pump, sethera is the Cumbrian dialect for counting sheep. I was fascinated by how closely the sheep resembled the landscape they live on. Each sheep is like a small gathering of hills."
(Capercaillie Junction 1990)
"I regard animals as a constant and enriching influence on our lives. I enjoy watching animals whilst they unwittingly continue their business. It was my intention to express just such a moment in 'Capercaillie Junction'; four birds positioned in various poses in full view of the woodland path - one calling, one threatening, one defiant, one proud."
Ancient Forester 1982
(Deer Hunter 1982)
Forest Fugue 1982
Ancient Forester 2 1995
(Heron 1982)
(Rock Crossing 1982)
(Scale Green Birdman 1982)
(The Woodwinders 1984)
"David Kemp is concerned with siting sculptures that are evocative of local history and interests, but which also relate visually to their immediate surroundings. He has collaborated frequently with architects and planners to produce a large range of public sculptures in both natural and urban situations."
Pinnacles 1996
Columns 1996
CV 1995-97
5 Residencies in London, Suffolk, Cumbria and Kent. 1995-98 7 Commissions in Lincolnshire, Surrey and the Cotswolds 1996-98 3 Exhibitions in Norwich, Czech Republic and Stroud House Gallery
"My sculptures at Grizedale were influenced by the epic expanses of conifers. They refer to the conifer's strong vertical lines of growth, that from far below appear to pierce the sky. I have found the main aesthetic qualities of the forest to be purity and repetition, through the use of simple, roughly duplicated forms I hope my sculptures will have a similar presence to that of the surrounding trees."
www.gileskent.co.uk
(Merry - go - Round 1991)
"The source of the artistic idea of this piece is the traditional merry - go - round, which appears in the ancient Bulgarian folklore festival on Saint Lazarus' Day, a celebration of the passing winter and
the renaissance of Nature during the spring time."
(Triangular Suspension 1981)
(Multiple Arch 1981)
(Trophies 1981)
(The Signpost 1984)
(Compound for Redundant Symbols 1984)
Private Meeting 1984
The Guardians 1984
Many group and solo exhibitions in Great Britain, USA, France and Poland. Works regularly on public sculpture commissions. Work in many public and private collections including Arts Council of GB.
"'Private Meeting' and 'The Guardians', created during my residency in Grizedale during 1982 and 84 started a long running theme in my sculptural work; that of the carved wood human figure. My most recent project is in south east Poland - the 'Dziady - Tall Men', a crowd of 32 carved lime tree figures, male and female, all 2.5m tall, about which a TV documentary is being developed."
Deer 1977
"Whilst staying in Grizedale with my husband David Nash I carved the deer which is located on the coach yard wall and dedicated it to the Foresters of Grizedale."
Solid Oak 1991
"'Solid Oak' juxtaposes two materials - the processed end product of the forest with the living trees. Part of Grizedale's beauty is created by the tension of two circumstances, the complex rhythm of the forest, and our equally complex manipulation of them. The chairs will eventually fall piece by piece to the ground, becoming once again part of the undergrowth that regenerates the forest."
Silurian Cant 1986
(Vigil 1986)
"I have explored a continued interest in Neolithic ceremonial sites, intrigued by the potent atmosphere they exude, their monumentality and mystery. I intended with 'Silurian Cant' to make a work which felt as if it purposefully belonged to its placing in the landscape, emitting a sense of timelessness."
Standing Stone 1991
'Standing Stone' is a contemporary monument which reflects the region as it is and refers to its ancient / Celtic past; to henges, stone circles, burial, the passing of time and its effects. It is made from materials found in the forest and surrounding areas. Materials that have been through production processes, to become tools of work or shelter from the elements, and are now discarded."
(Monument to Satterthwaite 1983)
(Fortress 1983)
(Red Deer Wallow 1983)
(Half - Moon Stakes 1983)
"Having become fascinated by the red deer of Grizedale and after watching their behaviour, the red deer wallows prompted me to make this sculpture. I wanted to use materials that would be in keeping with the natural environment and its specific location."
River under Tension 1998
"I was inspired by the trees that had fallen in an arrow shape either side of the river, echoing its direction and flow. I wanted the piece to reflect that direction but also to be a contrast to the softness of the bubbling, gurgling river."
(Mayo Landscape 1981)
"I regard animals as a constant and enriching influence on our lives. I enjoy watching animals whilst they unwittingly continue their business. It was my intention to express just such a moment in 'Capercaillie Junction'; four birds positioned in various poses in full view of the woodland path - one calling, one threatening, one defiant, one proud."
(Up one, two, three 1981)
Awarded the Royal Academy Gold Medal in 1976 1987 "Cutting Edge" Solo exhibition organised by Bolton Museum and Art Gallery, touring to Lincoln and Wolverhampton. 1996 Artist in Residence, Tate Gallery, St. Ives. 1997
"From the Ocean floor", solo exhibition in Djanogly Arts centre. Completed many commissions for public sites including Aberdeen, St. Albans, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leeds, Southampton, Edinburgh, Northampton. Work in public and private collections.
Wild Boar Clearing 1987
A Cry in the Wilderness 1987
Wolves 1993
"In 1993 I was able to make wolves. There was a site at Grizedale, a large sloping outcrop of slate with views over the valley. It's a wonderful site when the mist is down, or when the rocks steam in the sun. The perfect place for wolves to gather before a hunt."
Squirrel Marimba 1990
Rabbit Hole Marimba 1990
(Woodpecker Marimba 1990)
(Millipede Marimba 1992)
(Homage to Schwitters (Shintin) 1986)
Some Fern 1997
Spores 1997
"So often when we walk we see everything around us, but all too often it is an overview, a visual assumption. We see the panorama; the trees, but rarely the individual tree, the grass but not the blades. The philosophy behind my work is to draw attention to the singular, that which we see on mass but rarely take time to look at closely."
(Running Table II 1977)
(Running Table III 1978)
(Horned Tripod 1978)
Wooden Waterway 1978
(Willow Ladder 1978)
(Sweeping Larch Enclosure 1978)
"As the trees came into leaf during my residency I was gently drawn into the metabolism, place and energy of the forest. I have tried to acknowledge the relationship of the forest and those who work in it; using their materials and tools and calling on their experience."
Living Space 1990
Ammonite 1996
"Like the mountains and the large scale rocks protruding through the topsoil, the bench emerges from the landscape. As one circles the piece the shapes twist and change. Seated in a circular arrangement the group is invited to relax and rest within its sheltered walls."
Wooden Walkway 1987
Footbridge 1987
Larch Arch 1990
Serpentine Seat 1991
Sessile Seat 1991
Organic Shelter 1992
(Tunnel Vision 1992)
Omphalos 1993
"Walking in the forest I was attracted to the areas of coniferous trees, their tall vertical trunks and the mottled light streaking through the branches - the warm colour of the needles carpeting the ground. The atmosphere created had a strong presence. I hope people explore the structure and use it as a base to observe the space around. I want the shape to compliment the forest, to sit quietly among the trees."
The Passage 1993
Torment of Metals 1999
Exhibited in many group and solo exhibitions in France, Australia and throughout the UK. Many Public Sculpture Commissions, Site Specific Installation Projects and Residencies mostly centred in the North of England. Has led lots of sculpture workshops and has experience of lecturing.
"A lot of my pieces explore the fine line between order and chaos, by visual devices such as precariousness, or apparent danger, something caught in an instant before it collapses, shifts, or changes completely. The play-offs between strength and fragility, robustness and fineness are attempts to find visual equivalents for these."
(Fort 1984)
(Water Sculpture 1985)
Bean an t-Visce 1995
"An important part of the work process is allowing the work to evolve in the making, involving and interaction of sculptor, site and materials. Whilst the woman here is more giving, this is no battle of strengths. Both stand in the water, one baptising and the other being baptised."
Ting 1984
Dunkeld Larch Seat 1995
Oak Wave Seat 1995
Larch Wave Seat 1995
Mackie Seat 1995
(Lone Seat 1995)
(Grizedale Stag 1986)
(Grizedale Horse 1986)
(Sheep 1986)
"When I arrived in Grizedale I thought it would be nice to work in natural materials I could find in the forest. I found beech and birch twigs which were quite subtle and blended into the shape nicely. To
work in a new medium was a challenge that I have enjoyed."
The Seer's Wall 1995
Solo and Group Exhibitions in Israel, Germany, Holland, Italy, Spain, England. Selected Projects: 1996 International Sculpture Project, Goerlitz, Germany 1997 International Arts Symposium, Wiesbaden, Germany 1999 Britanni Forest, Jerusalem, Israel.
"Belle Shafir works in natural materials. The works combine sculpture with painting; the human figure is suggested in minimalist outline. The impression is of new life breathed into inanimate matter. Shafir intervenes in the natural material, lays bare parts of it with a carving chisel, chars it with fire, until the forms become full of expression. The works communicate a mood of vulnerability and loneliness."
One Two Three of 'em 1998
"A person looking for something in the forest might say "There's one of 'em."
The title evolved as the work grew, a reflection of the conditions that determined the outcome of my visit; the availability of materials, the amount of help I received, my own physical strength and the weather."
(The Realm of Taurus 1979)
(Seven Stones before the Old Man 1980)
Sited Sculpture: 1992 Henrietta House, London 1997 Sculpture at Goodwood. Solo Exhibitions: 1989 Laing Gallery, Newcastle Upon Tyne and Wolverhamptn Gallery. 1994 Mead Gallery and Bury St. Edmunds Art Gallery 1998 Barbican Concourse Gallery, London.
"Both sculptures were made on site, to which I travelled every day by bicycle. It was my first experience of making sculpture outside the studio, and indeed of siting work in the landscape. Grizedale was the place I worked out what sort of artist I wanted to be, eclectic and variable certainly, but, hopefully not devoid of interest."
Cherubic Wings 1990
"The timbers were installed where they had been felled by savage storms, the branches expressing tense rhythm. The dynamics and geometrical shapes of the wings are clearly demonstrative of a moment in time when they were locked in a battle with the savage gales which brought them down."
After the Rain / Flood 1996
"'After the Rain/Flood' can be seen as archaeological remains, floating or washed up debris, architectural or manufactured angular forms contrasting with, and also being absorbed by, the surrounding landscape and growing forest. The world of the late 20th century emerging, imposing and, in turn, being consumed by the landscape."
Logos 1999
Publicly Collected Works : 1998 S.A.C. Purchase Scheme 1992 City Arts Centre, Edinburgh Solo Exhibitions 1998 "In Dub", art.tm, Inverness 1997 "8 Voices", Project room, Collective Gallery, Edinburgh Group Shows throughout the UK and in Holland and Spain. Public Art Commission: 1992-3 Janet Hamilton Sculpture Trail, Summerlee Heritage Trust, Coatridge. Also worked on Internet, radio and with other acoustic and music production.
Grizedale Boar 1984
(Tree Sculpture 1984)
God of Thunder 4 1995
The Underground Tree 1997
"Pain accompanies anger. The Thunder-god in pain makes a wry face. Pain is transmitted to the tree in a fusion with the thunder-god. The allegorical tree is full of death and yet beautiful. The tree that is handed down in stories. A signpost that leads to the other end of the door."
Stone Forest 1994
"The stone forms the ground. The ground supports the tree. The trees create fresh water. The water gives life. The man becomes one and coexists with the continuity and the balance of nature. The nature becomes the spring of man. The sculpture stands motionless, reflects the time, and the silent voice."
(The Eye 1984)
(Wall Relief 1984)
(Forest Flight 1984)
(Beech Walk 1984)
"After coming to Grizedale from a large town I noticed a sharpening of senses that had dulled. Instead of closing off noise and any distracting forms as I do in the city I felt more inquisitive."
(Polar Star 1990)
(Axis of the Earth 1990)
"At this stage of our civilisation, it is important to feel the earth. I am not pessimistic about the future of human beings, but this earth is the only one. And it is difficult for us to live without the earth now."
An Enlightened Stand 1998
Commissions: 1998 Site specific artwork on BP ETAP Oil Platform, the North Sea. Permanent stone and text work, Perthshire Public Art Project. 1999 Installation on Elrick Hill, Aberdeen for the Tyrebagger Sculpture Project. Set of Screenprints for Peacock Printmakers, Aberdeen. Glass entrance, Ullapool High School One person exhibitions 1994-99 in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Kilmarnock, Boston USA, and Aberdeen.
"The work of Donald Urquhart is founded on a passion for, and knowledge of, the land. The approach being one of considered enquiry. The work can be characterised as highly formal in format, displaying an analytical edge, which has been referred to as "epic simplicity" - seeking to engage the viewer in a quiet, poetical discourse both about the landscape and our relationship to it."