Pound Mill

The commission brief is particularly interesting as it relates well to my interest in “industrial archaeology”. My fascination with railway innovation stems from childhood exposure to “working engine sheds” in the North East of England, where I made numerous studies of rolling stock. My chief research topic relates to the heritage aspects of machinery and how this can be developed in terms of the aesthetic making of a fully comprehensible sculpture that reflects the cultural heritage of the location it is eventually located. The historical connotations of the site are fundamental to my interests and would be key to the realisation of the completed artwork.

Locating key elements of Pound Mill, (through public consultation), within the concept of the sculpture and aligning this to the chief areas of research in my own output, which are, industrial archaeology and forms that are resonant of the human figure. The blend of history, trade and industrial innovation is central to my output and has stimulated several major commissions of my work worldwide as well as collaborations with eminent practitioners in the fields of Engineering and Medical Sciences.

The challenge of turning a space into a place and at the same time creating a landmark sculpture is an issue central to my research and something I have explored in a series of sculptures here in the UK and overseas. The treatment of the proposed sculptures surface’s will analogue with materials, textures and colours of the immediate vicinity of the surrounding architecture and at the same time elevate the question of illumination, as a key aspect of the overall form of the proposed two part sculpture.

Site lines to and from the sculptures is also important in order to facilitate the flow of pedestrian traffic, as well as create a meeting point for the community.

This proposed sculpture will also link with three established aspects of my output that deal with the “ the railway industry” as a concept; Dal Fabrros Chariot, Beetham Towers Liverpool, and Railway Rumble at Gt. Eastern Hotel, Liverpool Street, London; The Signaller, The Rushes, Loughborough.

Furthermore, this commission facilitates cross-border collaboration with a design team, which is my preferred method of working, as it allows an integrated approach to the design of the site and the sculpture. Moreover, I have now established a practice and team capable of delivering complex projects on time and within a given budget.