the exhibition
BIRTLEY ESTATE
Text supplied by Diana Pattenden, Exhibition Manager
Exotic Pineapple by Diana Pattenden
8
Sideways Glance by Claire Nelson
Bracing ourselves against the wind and rain on an April day, Laura and myself ‘walked the course’ with Birtley House proprietor, Simon Walley and his Head Gardener. Laura had designed the trail and it was time to imagine the paper plan in situ.
Visitors to the exhibition at Birtley House Estate in the past will know that the spectacular gardens and back-drop of trees present the perfect setting for sculpture. In April, however, the plants are still hiding and the leaves on the trees are far from sight. Despite this, I could see from the light in her eyes that Laura had a clear vision in mind.
I worked with Laura at the Landmark Exhibition so we have come to know each other and I am very impressed with her ability to place sculpture in a way that each piece has even more to offer in its relationship with the garden geography, the way pieces interact and relate to each other and the way the journey around the trail flows.
The start was very welcoming with a friendly dog To Sit and Stare by Carol Orwin and Alf the elf by David Paynter. I liked the way Laura gathered figurative sculpture around the lake to lend an air of stillness and tranquillity to the grace of each figure. Gilbert Whyman’s Girl in a Hat, Claire Nelson’s Sideways Glance and Henriette’s evocative figures - Paris la Nuit - were in good company.
The majestic lawn hosted the larger sculptures of Friedel Buecking, taking the eye upwards, especially Herself on High. You were then drawn to the row of work at the juncture between lawn and vista. Circles were the theme here with Gavin Roweth’s, beautifully carved stone pieces Petal II and Solar XI and Juliette Derwent with her colourful glass "islands" - Frataala Anvers and Fractaala Violet. Tracking back to the rose garden, the ominous, dark green yew hedge brought the carefully chosen white work into perfect focus. There was my Exotic Pineapple, Beth Kirby’s Aristotle’s Lantern, Maggie Butler’s Bird Form I and Rosie Jones' Lightness of Being.