Last year the National Trust at Wimpole Hall commisioned an artist to develop a number of sculptures for the Pleasure Grounds under the title: ‘Reflections’. Theo Gayer-Anderson (sculptor and stone conservator) was successful. He worked with the gardeners/foresters over a number weeks before Christmas to gather and prepare suitable wood from around the estate. A lot of chain-sawing took place!
There are five installations in total, each a construction of wood in a distinct, bold colour. Mounted around them, bringing light, perspective and energy to each sculpture, are a number of tall, imperfect mirrors. To see all of the sculptures you must wander from the ha-ha west of the house all the way down to the farm.
Mr Gayer-Anderson describes the installations as contemplations on man’s relationship to woodlands and landscape. I’ve added the captions from his website to the photos below, because I think that they add to each work and I love the sound of some of the phrases.
Yellow cord
ordinary veneration. interrupted view. an accidental folly
Red hanger
broken limbs.suspended moment. silent descent
Black blocks
once were one. shared past. uncertain future.
White whips
intimate thicket. entangled embrace. caution susurrus.
Blue stack
a passage of time. cross grained perspective. mutable palimpsests.
So my favourite installation is ‘Yellow cords’, which works really well with the landscape. My favourite description is ‘mutable palimpsests’.
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