Those of you who have visited us over the last few months will no doubt have noticed the large block of Portland stone that stands beside the entrance track. Well, this isn't just any old lump of stone...its being carved on site by sculptor, Jon Edgar, and I popped out yesterday to chat to Jon and see what kind of shapes were emerging.
Jon gave me a little background on how he works...
He's an improviser. His sculptures evolve, and his being on site here this winter is to see if things from the local landscape seep into the carving.
Part of the reason for the block being at Pulborough Brooks is that he wanted a site where there were people about to influence the carving and help him through the winter working. Conversations, positive or negative, are all affirming for the sculptor as they show people are engaging with the work or the artist - a rich experience - rather than just busying themselves with their normal lives.
It is part of his body of work which tends to see ambiguous stories and enigmatic figures emerge. It is not a design. It is not intended to 'be' anything or interpret anything or tell you anything - its just something that may or may not affect you in some way when you spend time with it. It will inevitably be 'of the place' as it is being worked slowly at Pulborough Brooks, by hand.
He is predominantly here on Saturday mornings and encourages you to park up on your exit and come and walk round the stone and see what you can see emerging. Sculpture needs to be seen in the round, and it may be that things YOU suggest alter how the sculptor moves forward.
As I've been driving past daily, I've certainly seen new things emerge, and mentioned yesterday that one of the shapes was reminiscent of a barn owl's heart shaped face (see below). This was a new insight for Jon who had seen the very same area of the block starting to take on the form of a goose when viewed from a different angle!
Take a look when you next visit and let us know what you see - there's a board up in the centre for suggestions, or you can post images and comments here. Jon is always keen to chat and take on ideas from our visitors as well as from the atmosphere here at Pulborough Brooks.
You can see other recent large works of his at Southover Grange Gardens, Lewes and at National Trust Hindhead, next to the Punch Bowl car park.
To ask when he's next here, you can always email jon@jonedgar.co.uk to tweet @massform
Find out more about the sculpture at Pulborough Brooks by viewing a recent article from the West Sussex County Times http://www.wscountytimes.co.uk/news/video-sculptor-embarks-on-winter-long-project-1-5571320
archive of works: www.jonedgar.co.uk
Anna's reference to the ambiguous forms in the second picture just show why art can be perceived completely differently by the viewer. We will all respond in different ways. On Saturday, several children had a go on the stone with mallet and chisel, parents watching by. One of the participants commented later that she thought the the form was 'a throne', which not only gives another interpretation of that area of the carving, but elevates her subconscious consideration of the forms directly above it.
As the sculptor, I am searching for lively forms to gel together in a purely physical sense (just how you might declare 'yes, thats good' when re-arranging ornaments on a mantlepiece.. but not knowing quite why) BUT ALSO for them to have some sort of narrative which unites them and legitimises them in some way, rather than it being a block merely decorated with lots of disparate forms.
I had been waiting for the human figure to gently disappear as the block advanced. But the feel of a Wildbrook Queen with coterie of swans actually chimes quite nicely. Another visitor on Saturday commented that she felt it was quite mythical in its feel, picking up on the eagle/hawk-like form top left in the upper picture.
Next carving Sat 23rd Nov morning!