“STRANDS”
I have created “STRANDS” - tall blades of grass that provide a destination to walk to and allow you to take stock of the surrounding landscape. The artwork is based on false oat-grass - a tall perennial of grasslands, roadside verges and disturbed ground. False oat-grass is one of a number of native grasses that are found on unimproved grasslands and make excellent shelter and nesting material for field voles. In turn, these grasslands become hunting grounds for barn owls, which can be seen quartering the fields at dusk. As the artwork is tall it needs structure and I have explored how grass is formed to provide both rigidity and flexibility. Sometimes you see something intriguing and you walk to it. This is both reassuring and interesting. So a structure ontop of a hill that has intrigue and offers an overview of the surrounding landscape would add value to the greespace and provides a destination. The hill could also be planted with a species rich grassland which adds additional interest and creates a variety of habitats for pollinators. This would allow the artwork to be embedded within the surrounding landscape.
Modelling for the Strands Artwork
The storytelling is an integral part of the final piece as is the journey to the final outcomes. So, whilst, I started with an archeological story the final artwork has a more paired down story and the form of the piece has become the main story, as it expresses the grassland that surrounds it.
This reflects, in part, the theme of the Bluewater Way, which is “playful” and “natural”. GATEWAY The artwork is formed of two pieces that create an upright gateway. The “Strands” of grass lean into each other to form an arch and simulate the movement of grass in the way it sways and supports each other in the wind.
Looking closely at grass you can see how it is formed of vertical strands that create the semi-rigid structure allowing it both stand upright and sway in the wind. We will create this natural structure using vertical strands of steel that fold into each other ensuring structural rigidity. We will aslo explore a triangular shape as part of its structural element. The artwork will be visible at the start of the walk from the new housing. It will be a destination that will encourage further investigation as well as being visible from the nearby road and therefore adding a visual stamp on the new community.
