Autumn 2009
October
Over the summer I work though concerns with siteing the sculpture in the Water
Gardens.
Scale is one issue. I am troubled that in order to avoid the sculpture being dominated by the landscape I am making ever larger models; as a result the shapes and textures are losing their strength. So large a stone sculpture would rely almost completely on mechanical manufacturing and the integrity of the sculpture may be lost, the chisel marks will not be signs of creation but will simply be applied surface patterns.
I reconsider the need to make a sculpture that makes an impact on the landscape; this had not been my primary objective. Originally, I set out to make a sculpture inspired by the Water Gardens and that is sited within the landscape that stimulated it.
With this in mind, in late October I talk to Trust staff about the possibility of building a raised grassy area for a smaller sculpture. The “plinth” would be designed to connect the sculpture strongly to its temporary home; constructed from compacted earth and turfed over it would echo the angular banking seen around the Water gardens.
The idea is greeted positively and I return to my studio to order the stone, finally setting in motion the production of my sculpture.
