What inspires your work?
Nature and how things grow. For instance, it is fascinating that in plants, it’s the side facing the sun that doesn’t grow as fast; the exposure to light causes too much auxin to be released which inhibits growth. Therefore, it’s the side that is away from the light that grows faster, bending the plant towards the light.
What is the strangest commission you have been asked to do?
A giant stainless-steel teaspoon that I made as a bench to be incorporated with a hidden water supply so that the spoon bowl would fill with water, turning the sculpture into a giant dog bowl for their two large dogs.
Do you have a favourite sculpture or project you have worked on?
Its a love/hate relationship with them all. Each one is normally unique and it’s a long creative journey. It is the most complete and satisfying feeling when the sculpture is placed in its correct intended setting. You get to see it as a whole and, hopefully, feel that it is right and enhances the space that it was intended for.
There is quite an empty feeling when the sculptural piece is placed in a shipping crate on its way to somewhere else in the world. You never get to experience the piece in its final setting.
But to answer the question about what has been my favourite project, it is probably answered in this story: I was delivering a prestigious tree sculpture to London and the lorry driver had to stop the low loader at the services to take his imposed driving break for half an hour. I took the opportunity to jump on the back of the lorry to tighten ropes on the sculpture and check things over.
Suddenly, the lorry driver shouted up at me and said,” It’s for you,” and passed me up his phone. I said, “Hello”, and this voice, in a strong, Australian accent said, “Hello mate! You don’t know me and I’m on the other side of the world, but I just want to say thank you. My sister is in Kings Lynn hospital palliative care unit fighting cancer and she says that one of the only things that gives her pleasure, is looking out of the window and seeing your giant stainless steel tree with its beautiful leaves. The lorry driver is an old friend of mine and he took a picture of the tree he is moving on his truck and sent it to me. I sent it to my sister, and she said it must be the same artist who did the tree here at Kings Lynn. Thanks again, mate, for giving her something really beautiful to look at.” And that was the end of the conversation…I stood on that lorry looking at this other tree sculpture and was overwhelmed with the feeling of goodness that we can do. I realised that we artists can do wonderful things; we can give people hope and pleasure…..That’s priceless.