The Sculpture Concept
When you walk into a castle more than any other building, you think of your ancestors, and you quietly listen to stories of a different time. I wanted to make a sculpture that would reflect that feeling and so I made a human figure quietly contemplating a tree.
The tree is a great symbol of the past and present with the roots firmly growing into the ground and the branches reaching up to the sky as new beginnings. The tree captivates the figure there is a visual connection between the two, human with nature, present with past. I like to think he is pondering the bigger questions;
Who am I? Why am I?
Past and Present, Man and Nature.
The tree is 24ct gold leafed and the figure is patinated a rich dark green. Throughout history these are the colours used on the roofs of important buildings The gold and copper domes adorned the roofs of Cathedrals, Palaces and Castles.
A Statement from the artist
Having completed 26 public sculptures , ‘Quiet Listening’ on the roof of Belvelly Castle is one of my favourites.
After meeting Garry and Anne Wilson, seeing and learning about Belvelly Castle, I spent a long time thinking about the different lives the castle has had. I’m sure it has experienced many happy times but it has also had a history of battles, takeovers and torture and so I wanted to make a reflective but positive piece.
I kept coming back to the tree that was growing inside the castle ruins when the Wilsons bought it, nature had reclaimed it for a while, then I realize that they were presently creating its modern history. This was the beginning of the idea for ‘Quiet Listening’
A year in the making it comprises a 3-meter pensive human figure facing a 5-meter 24ct Gold leafed bronze tree.