The Gateway sculpture will mark the entrance into the town of Heanor in Derbyshire.
Commissioned by Amber Valley Borough Council, the brief is to design and create a sculpture that captures the history of the towns relationship with industry, in particular I & R Morleys which once dominated a large site which is now where the current Tesco supermarket sits.
The sculpture commission marks the beginning of the councils plans for regeneration in the area.
Personally, this is a really good opportunity for my work to be seen in a more public setting rather that within a garden/landscape setting. The chance to work on a large scale such as this is very exciting and a direction my work has been moving along over the last few years. Since showing at Chelsea Flower show this year, my commissions have allowed me not only to experiment with size and scale, but with process and materials too. Having this chance to develop your work through different methods is essential to growth as an artist and can often prevent work becoming stale or unrewarding.
Watch this space for the next few weeks where I will be discussing my research, ideas and proposals for the sculpture.