"I have always felt that the kind of sculpture
that I make has a natural affinity with the
landscape in which it is sited. But sculpture is
man-made, it defines and even generates its own
kind of special space; a mythological space which
has some kinship with architecture but is yet an
extension of this."
On these pages you can find images and
documentation relating to some of my sculptural
projects.
My aims for this site were to provide a means of
displaying graphics and text whilst keeping
download times to a minimum and maintaining ease
of access and clarity for the user.
Although there are other approaches I decided to
use Flash to stream the the graphic content and
DHTML to manage the text.
1980-84 B.A.Hons Fine Art-
University of Newcastle Upon Tyne
JW Brown Drawing Prize
awarded 1981
Commissions:
'Gateways Project '
Three pieces of sculpture to
mark access points for the
Labyrinth
at Cragside Estate
Northumberland. 2002, National
Trust
'Entrance Feature'
Summerhill Countryside Centre,
Hartlepool Borough Council,2001
'Chicane'
bespoke pedestrian barriers,
involved carving, constructing
and lettercutting in oak,
Summerhill Countryside Centre,
2000, Hartlepool Borough
Council
'Bird Feeders'
Two pieces of sculpture for
Summerhill Countryside Centre,
Catcote Road, Hartlepool,
Hartlepool Borough Council,
2000
Gateway for Labyrinth
Sculpture for Cragside Estate,
Northumberland- 1998 National
Trust
'Story Tellers Seat'
Hawthorn First School, Ryhill
Tyne and Wear, 1994
'Entrance Marker'
Rising Sun Countryside Centre,
near Wallsend , Tyne and Wear,
North
Tyneside Council 1994
A number of private
commissions
(unlisted)
One Man Shows:
'Artists Showcase'
One of a series of small
exhibitions by artists living
in the
region, Laing Art Gallery,
Higham Place, Newcastle upon
Tyne- May
1988
'Recent Sculpture'
Long Gallery, Fine Art Dept.,
University of Newcastle Upon
Tyne
Feb. 1986
Group Shows:
'Freedom to Touch'
Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead,
Tyne and Wear- Summer 1989
'Whisky Tower Studio
Exhibition'
36 Lime Street, Newcastle Upon
Tyne, June 1987
'Kelburn Holdings
Inaugural
Exhibition'
An exhibition of painting,
sculpture, drawing and
ceramics- Grey Street,
Newcastle Upon Tyne, October
1986
Sculpture on Show at
Wallsend
Heritage Centre throughout
Summer 1986
'From the Wood'
New Percy Gallery, Percy
Street, Newcastle upon Tyne-
March 1986
'Freedom to Touch'
Laing Gallery Foyer, Jan - Feb.
1986
'Whisky Tower Studio
Exhibition'
Long Gallery Newcastle
University Fine Art Dept.
October
1985
Studios:
'Whisky Tower Studio'
Involved in establishment and
running of artists' workspace
at 36 Lime Street, Newcastle
upon Tyne, October 1984. Studio
in receipt of Northern Arts
award Jan 1985
Move to Greenhaus Studio,
Jesmond Dene, Newcastle
upon
Tyne. March 1988
Establish private workspace
at Thrumb Cottage Rothbury,
Northumberland 1994
Currently establishing new
studio at Rothley,
Morpeth, Northumberland.
2002
Placements and Workshops:
Workshop with children from
Rothbury First School Cragside,
Northumberland March 2002
Hotspur School Sculpture
Project Tyne & Wear Museums
Service Summer 1988
A number of workshops with
school children at the
Laing
Art Gallery, Higham Place,
Newcastle upon Tyne. 1987
St. Nicholas' Hospital Art
Project Gosforth, Newcastle upon
Tyne Nov. 1985- June 1986
Northgate Hospital Art
Project- p/t Morpeth,
Northumberland Summer 1985
Awards:
Northern Arts Awards to
Artists, Sept 1987
Reviews and Press Coverage:
Interview by BBC Northeast
for 'Look North' feature on the
Labyrinth at Cragside March 1998
Interview by Radio Newcastle,
May 1988 for arts magazine
programme, re Artists Showcase
Review of 'Artists Showcase'
exhibition in Art News Spring
Summer 1988. Tyne and Wear
Museums Service Publication
My commissioned work often has a
predetermined function e.g. to mark an
entranceway or footpath, to provide seating
or a notice-board. I pursue a coherent
artistic strategy within the parameters of
the brief.
A piece of work should be seen as a response
to the landscape in which it is sited as well
as a referential image. I have always been
fascinated by the way that sculpture can
redefine space and even generate its own
'mythological' space. In the 'Feeders' at
Summerhill the idea was that the space around
the sculpture would be charged with the sense
of imbalance while the terminations at the
tops of the upright members foil the upward
thrust that would otherwise extend
indefinitely.
The gateway pieces at Cragside were intended
to mark footpaths and also to define the
boundary of the Labyrinth. I decided to make
pieces of sculpture which straddle the
footpaths and therefore invite the public to
enter the space within the sculpture. One
feature of my work is to import form from
other disciplines, to find new ways of
working not usually associated with the
medium. The 'Torque' at Summerhill was
commissioned to mark the entrance to the
visitor centre. In various consultations with
the landscape architects and 'The Friends of
Summerhill' a number of ideas were put
forward regarding imagery which could be
incorporated into the design. The image of a
tree emerged as important as was the history
of the site. My idea was to fuse the tree
image with forms from bronze age jewellery
since some significant archaeological finds
had been made at the site, including Roman,
Bronze Age and Stone Age artefacts. I am
interested in finding forms which can
represent different things simultaneously or
which can be understood on different levels.
Indeed, the carved surface panels on this
piece add a new dimension independent of the
basic form.
Although I am experienced in blacksmith and
ceramic techniques, most of my recent work
has involved carving and constructing in
wood. For large outdoor work, timber must be
carefully selected. This sometimes means
sourcing from the forest. I use the most
durable timber available e.g. oak or sweet
chestnut which are rich in natural
preservatives such that only minimal
treatment and maintenance is required. Much
of the initial work is done with chainsaws
and power tools whilst finishing involves
more traditional wood carving
techniques.
One of the main problems with working in wood
is in maintaining a feel of spontaneity while
finding solutions to the immense technical
and structural issues. I have developed my
own personal solution to this through a
wholly integrated working practice. By
approaching problems in a series of decisive
steps whilst holding the whole piece of work
in mind it is possible to express a
naturalness or fluidity in even the bulkiest
of materials.
'Large Coil'
Oak -Carved and constructed
2.1 metres tall
Cragside Grounds Northumberland
National Trust 2002
One of three gateway pieces for the labyrinth at
Cragside Estate.
The geometric form of the helix is often
associated with engineering, i.e. the Archimedes
water pump, helical gears, drilling tools etc. To
construct one out of timber and then place it in
a woodland landscape is to make a statement
regarding attitudes towards forms and materials
and the uses they might be put to in the modern
world.
As this piece was taking shape I began to realize
the extent to which the form appears to change as
you move through or round it. Sometimes it reads
as a regular form and sometimes it seems quite
irregular.
The siting of these pieces at Cragside over
footpaths meant that the public are invited or
even obliged to participate in the sculpture by
walking through it.
'Arch'
Oak -Carved and constructed
2.25 metres tall
Cragside Grounds Northumberland
National Trust 2002
One of three gateway pieces for the labyrinth at
Cragside estate.
It occurred to me that it might be an interesting
idea to build with timber as if it were stone, to
introduce imagery from architecture more usually
associated with masonry. This is how I arrived at
the Roman arch complete with keystone; although
the keystone here might also be a wedge as used
for splitting timber. Is it holding the two
halves together or trying to force them apart? A
Roman arch in itself would have been rather
static and not very interesting so I decided to
invest this one with an alter ego. One end is
striving to maintain its dignity as a classical
arch whilst the other end seems to be trying to
wriggle off to do something else.
'Needle's Eye'
Oak-Carved and constructed
2.1 metres tall
Cragside Grounds Northumberland
National Trust 2002
One of three gateway pieces for the labyrinth at
Cragside.
The pathway here was quite narrow and the terrain
prohibitively rough for wheelchair access, so I
decided to make a narrow portal. This involved
some careful thought on issues of human scale. I
wanted to give the psychological impression that
the gateway was restrictive without actually
limiting access.
The Labyrinth at Cragside is a complex network of
footpaths created by the National Trust and
volunteers. For the opening at Easter 1998 I was
asked to produce a sculptural gateway for the
main entrance to the labyrinth at Nelly's Moss
carpark. The timber -sweet chestnut- was felled
on the estate as a result of wind damage. The
overhead knot motif was intended to be
referential to some sort of puzzle or spell- a
lesser Gordian knot or Druidic knot message. I
have been informed that the knot is known as a'
figure of eight' and is used in the rigging of
sailing boats. I was not aware of this when I
carved it, neither was I working from any pattern
of knot design. I was simply inventing something
which I thought looked right whilst maintaining
the structural integrity of the carving.
'Torque'
Oak
3.6 metres tall
Summerhill Visitor Centre, Hartlepool
Hartlepool Borough Council 2001
Commissioned to mark the entrance to the new
Summerhill Countryside Park visitor centre off
Catcote Road, Hartlepool.
It is on a grassed area partially encircled by
newly planted trees at the end of the straight
approach road. At nearly four metres tall it is
thus visible for some distance down this
road.
The site has been linked with stone age, bronze
age, iron age and Roman settlements. The Tees
Archaeology unit were kind enough to provide me
with information and photographs of finds made at
the site as well as other visual sources such as
geophysical maps. Images of some of these finds
have been incorporated into the final work as
carved relief panels.
Although there has never been any jewelry found
at Summerhill, I became interested in pursuing
the bronze age theme further by drawing on the
forms of bronze age work as a starting point for
the basic image of the design.
A number of torcs have been found in the British
Isles. These were worn round the neck or upper
arm and were often made from a gold strip,
twisted along its length and then curved round
into a loop.
The main upright of the Summerhill piece came
from the stand of a tree with a"Y" fork at the
top. I built onto this with three more sections
keyed and bolted together to create a twisting
form which returns back to the main stem.
This sort of work is informed by many sources and
indeed the final form owes something to the trees
from which the timber came.
The carved panels contain imagery relating to the
history of the site and activities undertaken at
the countryside centre.
'Feeder 2'
Oak
3 metres tall
Summerhill Visitor Centre, Hartlepool
Hartlepool Borough Council 2000
The second of the two bird feeding stations is
situated on a low hillside overlooking the
visitor centre.
In both of these pieces the tripod base end the
centre of gravity meant that they stood quite
naturally without fixings. However, for safety
reasons they were bolted down to concrete pads by
means of galvanized steel plates.
Feeder 1
Oak
3 metres tall
Summerhill Visitor Centre Hartlepool
Hartlepool Borough Council 2000
The first sculpture I made for the Summerhill
Visitor Centre were these two bird feeding
stations This was specifically what the client
requested and hence the resolution of the upright
members into horizontal platforms. The original
design brief seemed rather static and monolithic
so I thought it would be exciting to make
structures which appear to be overbalancing; to
create an illusion of instability.
Both pieces are sited within proximity of each
other and were intended to be seen together. This
one is on fairly level ground and is approached
on two sides by footpaths. Both are three metres
tall.
Entrance Marker
Elm and white oak
1.85 metres tall
Rising Sun Countryside Park -Tyne and Wear
North Tyneside Council 1994
The brief was to create of a piece of sculpture
which was sympathetic to the nature and landscape
of the site and which would welcome visitors to
the countryside centre. Provision also had to be
made within the piece of work for a
noticeboard.
The countryside park is in a semi-urban
environment. Most of the site is on reclaimed
colliery land. Subsidence due to the collapse of
old mine workings has created a small lake which
now forms a habitat for wild birds. North
Tyneside Council have pursued a policy of
landscaping, tree planting and the creation and
maintenance of footpaths. The main buildings for
the centre were once an isolation hospital.
I had in mind the theme of growth and
regeneration when designing the piece, the two
uprights were to physically wrap around and grasp
the white oak frame of the noticeboard. The one
on the right is an oak tree- growing, ascending.
On the left is a water theme, descending- with a
bird diving on a fish.
This was the result of a collaboration with
storyteller Chris Bostock who had spent an entire
term on a project at Hawthorn First School at
Ryehill, Newcastle upon Tyne. The culmination of
the project required a performance space where
the children could read out their own stories. It
was suggested that I could make a seat which
would act as a visual focal point- a special
place- but not excessively grand or throne-like.
Most of the work was done at the school using elm
sourced from North Tyneside.
The seat was sited within the school precinct
after the close of the project.
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queries. david.salkeld@ukonline.co.uk
Tel, voice-mail & fax 0709 226 9051