Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail (2000-2003)

Client: Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust

Artists: Neville Gabie, Stephan Gec, Rheinhild Beuther, Phillip Reilly, Blissbody, Robin Blackledge, Lulu Quinn & Julie Westerman, Tony Sinden, David Gibbons, Elise Hurcombe, Erika Tan, Jane Spray

RAW (Neville Gabie)

Lightshift (group show)

Diversity (Erika Tan and Jane Spray)

'RAW' by Neville Gabie

Project description

As the Year Of The Artist in residence for the Forest Of Dean Sculpture Trust, Neville Gabie spent a year walking the forest and developing ideas for a programme of commission as well as a sculptural work for the forest. Raw emerged from conversations with foresters about the trees and one particular fact - that the trees where measured annually to calculate their volume and rate of growth. From this Neville asked questions; How would that volume look like if you changed its shape? Could you cube up an entire tree? What space would the trees absence create in the canopy? Where there other ways of measuring or considering the trees dimensions?

RAW is a permanent work where the tree, in its entirety, from the largest sections of the trunk to the smallest branches was all cut into cubes of varying sizes. These were then stacked to create a single cube volume of almost 2metres which can be seen in the clearing left by the tree.  Above is the space in the canopy left by the tree and to the side is the tree stump cut close to the ground.

Temporary work

From his exploration of the properties of this tree four temporary installations emerged:

Earth - a whole in the forest floor. A measurement of the total degradable volume of the tree the total.

Fire - energy generated for a light bulb. A measure of the calorific value of the timber in the tree which will be turned into light.

Air - annual production of oxygen. A measure of the amount of oxygen this tree would convert in a given period - oxygen released into water.

Water - average amount drawn by a tree from the ground. A measure of the amount of oxygen this tree would convert in a given period.

Project information

Curated by Sam Wilkinson and Bruce Allen, Project Managed by Sam Wilkinson

Client: Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust

Location: Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail

Artist: Neville Gabie

Date: 2000-01

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Lightshift (group show)

Project Description

During an eight week period in September and October 2001, an extraordinary collaboration of artists, foresters and students worked intensively to create a light-based performance event in the Forest of Dean. 'Lightshift' was the result, an artist-led project which aimed to revive interest and bring back confidence in the Forest, closed to visitors and residents for 5 months during the foot and mouth outbreak.

Artists Mark Anderson of Blissbody and Robin Blackledge developed a concept and body of work for a journey through a section of the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail. Into the trail the artists injected installations of sound, light, projection, fire and pyrotechnics that amazed people for seven nights.

'Lightshift' comprised thirty installations including works by Lulu Quinn & Julie Westerman, Tony Sinden, Elise Hurcombe (a young sound artist from the Forest of Dean), and David Gibbons from Urban Projects with assistance from students from Sheffield University and the University of West of England.

The whole event drew an audience of over 40,000 from all over the South West of England. The result was a range of challenging works achieved in a limited period of time and in a very unusual environment. Coupled with special excitement of the Forest being opened up at night, the work was extremely successful, engaging and inspiring the audience, which grew with every performance.

Project information

Art Consultant Role: Sam Wilkinson Curator and Project Manager

Client: Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust

Location: Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail

Artists: Blissbody, Mark Anderson, Robin Blackledge, Lulu Quinn & Julie Westerman, Tony Sinden, Urban Projects, Elise Hurcombe

Date:  September and October 2001

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'Diversity' by Erika Tan

Project description

The commission was to develop a body of work, temporary and permanent, that considered culture and diversity within the Forest of Dean. The forest is a unique environment, but with a perceived homogeny in terms of culture and identity and has historically been quite self-contained. The Trust invited Erika to respond to this, in particular the environmental impact of the forest, how such landscapes impact on the local culture and how people of different cultures experience the forest. Another area of diversity that explored in her work was the issue of biodiversity in the forest. At the time of the commission Forest Enterprise had been actively increasing the range and diversity of its trees to include broadleaved species to encourage a richer forest environment.

Erika Tan also worked in collaboration with forest based visual artist and poet Jane Spray.

Project information

Sam Wilkinson curated and project managed

Client: Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust

Location: Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail

Artists: Erika Tan and Jane Spray

Date: 2001

Publication: 'Diversity' mapped the research process, dialogue between the artists and recording the outcomes of this 6month long residency project. A small number of these publications are available on request from publishing@insitearts.com

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