'Buddhas Enlightened' - A Metaphor for Change
About
This sculpture was inspired by a trip to Cambodia in 2018, which was also one of the hottest in recorded history. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( 2018) had concluded …..“ Change will be required across every sector of society..” ( if irreversible damage to the planet is to be avoided. )
We live in an increasingly digitalised society with a “throw away culture”. Is the latest model cell phone so much better than the previous model? Yet at the same time we are being encouraged to change the way we think and live if we are to manage climate change, and perhaps achieve greater sustainabilty.
I was also about to take my first steps into metal sculpture – a radical shift of direction .
A combination of these factors made me reflect on the idea of Change; what triggers it and whether we chose to embrace or reject it.
We all like the idea of change, but prefer if it doesn't inconvenience us too much!
Cambodia is a largely Buddhist country with “wall to wall” Buddhist iconography in many areas. 2500 years ago Buddha conceived of 'Enlightenment' – an essential element of which is that change is possible – All these factors influenced the design of my first major work.
- Change is symbolised in the sculpture by having two different faces to the Buddhas – one the traditional Buddha face and the other more serene. Its often said that the hardest part of change is makeing the decision, and after that there is a sense of relief.I have tried to capture that in the second face.
- The Buddhas rotate driven by an internal motor, and are fabricated from a variety of recycled scrapyard finds. - “Be the Change that you want to see in the world” ( Mahatma Ghandi)
- I not only wanted to symbolise change , but the moment when we recognise that change is needed – the “ Lightbulb Moment”if you will.
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A motion sensor triggers firstly the illumination of the base, then the crown and then the rotation through 180 degrees .A small electric motor concealed within the base drives the rotation.
The rotation then pauses for a few seconds to allow time to contemplate the more serene face. It then continues on towards the start position.
The internal lighting is static and the faces revolve around it. This creates a shimmering effect, - "Buddhas Enlightened "– the illumination symbolises the moment when we recognise the need for change.
I have tried to throw “new light” on ancient wisdom. The sculpture is a "Metaphor for change" and symbolises the moment when the “penny drops” - that change is no longer something we can put off any longer.
Unfortunately climate problems have
continued to worsen since the IPCC warned of the need for major changes across all sectors of society.
Accelerating digital transformation is adding to the problem eg Bitcoin which has been calculated to consume as much energy as Argentina!!
Society may have to make some hard choices in the not too distant future.
'Light at the End of the Tunnel' - A Metaphor for Hope
About
This work was originally built for the Chaiya art awards 2021 in answer to the question God is ? The sculpture reflects on some basic human emotions – Despair, hope and salvation. - originally in a religious context.
In February 2022 Russia invaded Ukraine. The graphic images of homeless displaced people carrying their few salvaged belongings , pushing the elderly , the sick and the the disabled,
inspired me to rework the sculpture so that salvation is interpreted in a more general sense to mean safety and the main emphasis shifts to “HOPE”.
I wanted to illustrate the desperate flight of people as they rush headlong from the “Darkness” with small human figures scrambling up ladders .Think Ukraine, or Syria , or any other war torn country.
I also wanted to try and convey to the viewer the experience of being in an endless dark tunnel ,of feeling despair : of seeing a glimmer of hope , and finally escaping from the darkness into the light.
The sculpture is partly “found object”- an obsolete electron microscope body rescued from the scrapyard crusher. Restored - repurposed and embellished with:
- Internal low voltage lighting – triggered by the approaching viewer.
- Internal ladders with figures ascending toward the light.
- A “viewing port” – resembling binoculars and triggered by a sensor.
- An electronic control system.
The phrase “Light at the end of the Tunnel” is a metaphor for hope .No one knows its true origin, but it was popularised by President Kennedy during the Vietnam War.
“ The Ascent of the Blessed “ painted some 500 years ago by Heironymous Bosch depicts a three dimensional tunnel of light leading into the next world.Bosch used this to illustrate the passage of the deceased into heaven.
This sparked the idea of using a magic mirror to create an illuminated tunnel which would simulate escaping from the darkness into the light. (Salvation)
Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy” – his journey through hell written in 1310 describes despair wonderfully. ….. “I came to myself in a dark wood and the straightway was lost”
Looking into the binoculars triggers a sensor, and the tunnel which is initially dark, slowly illuminates , revealing firstly Dante's message of despair- Paraphrased as ”…...and I found myself in a long dark tunnel seemingly without end...”
Then a message of hope , ....."and then , far in the distance and very faint".....
followed by a tunnel of light with a small human figure in front of it - salvation.
Finally the “punch line” made famous by Desmond Tutu-
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Small human figures scrambling up ladders towards the light symbolises the plight of
displaced people everywhere.
The sculpture also creates the feeling of being in that “Long Dark Tunnel” which most of us will experience at some stage in our life, and finally escaping into the light.
Looking into the binoculars triggers the appearance of a series of messages and a vision of salvation.
This is achieved by the use of a “magic mirror” – 2 parallel mirrors – the front one partially transparent, and the rear normal. When illuminated between the mirrors, multiple internal reflections create a - ”Tunnel of Light” .
The final message is one of hope.
“ HOPE IS BEING ABLE TO SEE THAT THERE IS LIGHT DESPITE ALL OF THE DARKNESS."
Desmond Tutu
The sculpture is a powerful visual object and centrepiece - a "Metaphor for Hope" - which draws attention to the plight of refugees everywhere trying to escape from the darkness of war and emerge into the Light.
'Going Viral' - Covid 19 - A most Resilient Virus
About - shortlisted and exhibited at the Chaiya Art Awards - Bargehouse Gallery London 2023
The Covid virus is infinitesimally small ; structurally extremely simple. Yet it has
caused Global chaos. It has controlled our lives, cost an estimated 15 million lives ,and will go on affecting millions of lives for a very long time. It has confounded politicians ,
threatened economies , and changed the way that we live and work in ways that
could not have easily been foreseen.
How could something so small have the capacity to wreak such havoc?
I was struck by the resemblance of the virus to World War2 Naval Mines, lurking, invisible and lethal.
Reflecting on this was part of the inspiration that led to the creation of this work.
- I wanted the sculpture to be visually powerful and attractive, but also quite threatening.
- I wanted it to illustrate the global spread of the virus .
- I wanted it to demonstrate the defeat of the virus by the vaccines - the battle between Covid and mankind- the simplest life form on the planet versus the most advanced.
The sculpture was built to verify the feasibility of the concept, as at the outset I was not certain that I could make my ideas work satisfactorily and reliably.
It consists of a slowly revolving 30cm stainless steel sphere ( a discardedand recycled garden water fountain) which symbolises the rotation of the earth.
A sensor detects the presence of the viewer and triggers the rotation.
After a short delay the Covid Spikes begin to pop up at one second intervals, and when fully extended a small red light illuminates at the tip of each spike.
The “Earth” slowly morphs into the virus and the sequential emergence of the spikes creates a wave effect travelling around the globe and symbolises the way in which the virus has spread.
The spikes then pulse in and out several times in a threatening way making a hissing noise.
Finally the spikes retreat back into the sphere symbolising the defeat of the virus by the Vaccines, and the Virus morphs back into the Earth symbolising the return to normality.
And then the virus mutates and so round it goes !( not demonstrated in this prototype.)
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The work is a small scale prototype for a much larger work yet to come which will allow a number of additional refinements.- Incorporation of a map of the world: a means of displaying the effect of the vaccines : and the ability to show mutation.
Limitations of internal space restrict the active spikes to the upper half of the sphere.
To compensate, 16 “Dummy Spikes” in the lower half of the sphere illuminate in synch with the uppers so producing a satisfactory result.
The full size project will have Active Spikes over the whole of its surface , as the
increase in sphere diameter will allow the control circuits to be centrally placed .This will creat space for the actuators in both hemispheres.
The more one reflects on the events of the last two and a half years, the harder it is to believe how such a miniscule organism has been able to disrupt our ordered lives,and produce such profound changes in the way that society functions.
This work is more than just a sculpture about the Covid Virus, for it symbolises a battle between one of the simplest life forms on the planet and the most advanced which man must win.
Both exhibit remarkable resilience – the virus through mutation and man through adaptation , innovation and the determination to survive!!
'Hieroglyph Lamps'
About
Inspired by a trip to Egypt, these desk or table lamps are made from reclaimed stainless steel scrap.
The perforated panels are the waste material left over from a laser cutting process used to make small industrial components. They reminded me of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
The bases are made from scrap industrial pipe flanges and the three or four sided lights can be rotated to reveal different faces as the panels are all different.
A remote controlled dimmer allows the intensity of the low voltage lighting to be varied at will. The lamps stand 35cm high and weigh 11 – 15 kg. This weight adds substance and solidity and they make an interesting centrepiece. Although “one off” designs, similar models can be made to order.
'Design Studies'
About
Design study for new entrance doors at the “English Folk Dance and Song Sociey” – EFDSS
The goal of the project was to “enhance the visitor experience” and create a “wow factor”. Numerous constraints, most noticeably Grade 11 Listing, the need for the design to be in keeping with the character of the building built in neo Georgian style in the 1930's, and British standards for sliding glass doors as well as a modest budget, made this a challenging proposition. - A once in a generation opportunity to present the building as the National HQ of EFDSS.
Stainless steel – is ideal for longevity, weather resistance, and durability. Stainless Steel was not widely used until the late 1920s - one could argue that it is not in keeping with the character of the building. However it became very popular in the 1930’s (e.g. the Portico of the Savoy and the Chrysler building).
I opted for a 'less is more' approach using laser cut highly polished stainless steel lettering and other design elements, combined with hand engraved figures. All elements are bonded to the inner side of the inner leaf of the double glazed elements, using Industrial adhesives used in the motor and marine industries to produce a reliable long term solution. To create focus there are narrow decorative panels, vertically and horizontally around the doors - an architrave if you will, which is a nod to the original 1930’s entrance, and so leading the eye to the centre of the doors and the contained logos.
The fundamental design of the frame is determined by the need to meet requirements laid down by British Standards and not aesthetic considerations. The end result was therefore always going to be a compromise, but I think this approach complements the style of the building, but in a contemporary way, whilst drawing inspiration from the Arts and Craft Movement. I believe it leaves the visitor in no doubt as to the importance of the building that they have just entered or left.