- Venue
- Pearson Park, Hull
- Starts
- Wednesday, December 7, 2016
- Ends
- Monday, December 31, 2018
- Address
- HU52SY
- Location
- North East England
- Organiser
- City of Culture, Pearson Park. Hull.
- Pearson Park Tree Sculpture for the City Of Culture.
The idea for doing this piece of public sculpture arose in the latter part of 2015 when it became evident that this Horse Chestnut tree was dying. The leaf miner caterpillar is responsible and leaves trees susceptible to bleeding canker – a fatal disease that already infects more than half of Britain’s Horse Chestnut trees.
The Local Authority decided to remove branches overhanging the road and I was available to affect just what was cut.
My initial vision was of a solitary figure gesturing with an arm into the distance.
The tree, being in the grounds of Pearson Park, I approached the Trustees for permission to carve it. After a number of iterations I got permission. Their direction was – it must not cause offence, it must be easy to understand and we would like a ‘smiley face’.
Due to the current financial situation I was unable to gain any funding. At the beginning of May 2015 I managed to beg the erection of the scaffolding from ‘Tilson Scaffolding free of charge and borrow a generator from Hull Lyons.
Work began late in May.
I quickly realised that I did not have enough mass in the middle of the top to be able to reveal a single big head. Through a process of drawing, modelling and research I firmed up my ideas as I worked. I started at the top so as to reduce the weight of material. This then informed my decision making regarding the structural strength needed lower down.
I worked around the top and then down to the torso coming back up to do the arm and hand. During this time the process of the referendum played out. Needless to say it did have an effect on my initial vision.
Title of the work.
Politicians ‘A comment on the process of the referendum’.
All the faces have eyes, nose and mouth. All he mouths are shouting. Who is it that shouts and doesn’t listen? [well, apart from all of us on occasion] – Politicians. The 3 crowns represent power. The left arm is holding an ice cream which is a metaphor for bribery – vote for me and everyone will get ice cream … The right arm is held into the body and the hand is concealed behind it. This is intended as a metaphor for threat – just what is it that is being held that I cannot see? The hidden hand can also be read as ‘in the back pocket’ indicating self-serving. The bearded face at the back is – ‘Laughing all the way to the bank’. I hasten to add that there is no implied comment on the ‘Referendum result’ but there is of the process, rhetoric and assertions made.
There are also local references. The outstretched arm with the ice-cream gestures towards Mrs Penna’s Ice-cream parlor in the middle of the Park. The bearded face at the back is ‘smiley’ – Hull is a happy place. The 3 crowns are a reference to Hulls coat of arms.
Tools used:
Jean – removing the bark & motivation in times of lassitude.
Crowbar, Firmer chisel, Cooper’s knife. – for removing the bark.
Scaffolding – care of Tilsons Ltd
Generator Honda 240v – loaned by Mally Smith, Hull Lyons.
Petrol – far more than I expected.
Chainsaw, electric – for straight line material removing cuts.
Angle grinders – 4 of – for material removal down to finishing.
Arbortech TCT 115mm blade
Arbortech HSS 115mm blade
Arbortech mini carver
P24 grit sanding discs
Cordless drill – the eyes
Rip saw – hand – for various awkward cuts
Various gouges – detail and material removal.
Pencils & white board markers – marking out.
Acrylic paint – to accentuate dark areas and for the crowns.
Clear decking preservative and clear decking protector – slowing down rotting.
Cost – in the region of £1500
Time – about 4 months [if you take out the down time it took about 2 but many things get in the way – like weather.
References.
Although I started with a clear idea of my destination I of course entered into a dialogue with the tree and inevitably found those ideas being challenged and my efforts being redirected. Imagery surfaced from subconscious pools so I found myself remembering illustrations from childhood books – for example the screaming heads [e.g. Red Queen] in Alice in Wonderland and Alice through the looking glass.
The heads are rather gargoyle like and one cannot wander around English Churches without having gazed at their mediaeval countenance. This aspect is also fed by the distortion that can be seen in some Victorian illustrators.
While struggling to realise the right arm I was reminded of how Rodin would draw the arm of Balzac into the body and exaggerate the mass. The other aspect I contended with was the struggle to get the musculature of both arms to read forwards for both the front and the back.
Whilst working ideas out I used clay and plasticine and the models took on an aspect of Medardo Rosso’s – wax heads. I looked at the drapery in Bernini’s work when deciding how to tackle the base though in the end considerations of strength dominated this decision making.
I am of the generation that came out of Art College having by necessity developed an appreciation of ‘Arte Povera’ and this is undoubtedly one of the reasons that I considered the project. Guiseppi Pernoni’s highly finished excavations of timber have fascinated me. This I think may have pushed me to achieve a smother finish than the environment [and climate] in which the work piece inhabits suggests reasonable.
Problems experienced.
The most annoying and persistent was the breakdown of the on-off switches on the 115mm angle grinders. Dust and chippings gets behind the switch causing it to not switch off and eventually break apart. I nearly had a serious accident when I had to put a still running grinder down so as to unplug it. I went through 4 angle grinders during work as a result of this. The only solution I found was to cover the switch with duct tape so as to form a flap which inhibited chips getting behind it.
Visualising the whole as work progressed. The scaffolding obscures and constrains which inhibits a developing vision. I should have spent more time at the start marking out proportions, taking pictures and making drawings.
The scaffolding restricting access. I had lots of access on one side but very little on the other due to tubes being hard up against the material. Careful consideration needs to be given to how the tubes are placed so as to allow boards to be pulled back to view and work.
Insects. I was in their territory and was visited by wasps and bees and others and got stung. Cover up.
Other issues.
I was required to get/have a DBS check. I was volunteering in a school at the time so got it through them but the process takes time and is not free.
I was required to have public liability insurance. An artist friend mentioned that if I joined Artists Newsletter – £35/y – then you got public liability insurance through them.
I was required to comply with H&S regs. This is potentially a big problem requiring courses to be attended and paid for. I have taught technology and Product Design in Secondary School and so have attended and been certificated on most aspects. Nonetheless Tim Beckley, Hulls Forestry Officer, came and checked I was working correctly.
Complaints.
A complaint was made to the Area Team [and other agencies apparently] alleging that I was ‘swinging off the scaffolding with a chainsaw, without safety protection, like Tarzan’. A visit was made by an officer and the complaint dismissed.
Public.
I was anxious about what interaction there might be at the start. As it turned out everyone was polite, interested, engaged, and very supportive. I got a regular following with locals altering their dog walking etc. to inspect progress on a daily basis. Taxis would stop to show their customers, the bin men would stop and shout appreciation. People would stop for conversation and some would make requests for me to carve a particular thing or even their likeness. People who were strangers would stop and talk to each other and swop interpretations.
It has been finished several weeks now and still there are visitors coming to look and take pictures.
City of Culture.
I did this as my contribution to the City of Culture and applied for it to be entered onto their website.
Unfortunately it was rejected on the grounds that it was not an ‘Event’. What I have learned since is that, they would have been interested if I had let them know at the start. They would then have charted progress through the process – which would make it an event. So if you want to do something – let them know at the beginning. I have been asked to do another but the time of year and the cost inhibit this currently.
Acknowledgements.
I would like to thank Malcolm Smith of Hull Lyons for loaning me the generator and chainsaw, and Colin Stevenson of Tilson’s Scaffolding for the erecting and use of the scaffolding. Without this help I would not have been able to complete the task.
Julian Barnard – November 2016
