Peter Randall-Page , 1988
“I decided to base my work for the Forest of Dean on elements found within the forest itself. The seeds of common trees are wondrous things; their extraordinary potential and exquisite beauty. Their familiarity can however stop us really seeing them; we know what they are and our appreciation can stop with identification. By re-interpreting these small objects on a larger scale, I attempted to draw attention to the exotic in the commonplace, the exquisite in the familiar.” Peter Randall-Page
Peter Randall-Page took as the basis for his two complementary works the intricate forms of a pinecone and an acorn cup. Carved from pink and green Forest of Dean stone and create on a large scale, these intricate, organic forms are revealed in all their detail and draw our attention to the tiny fragile shapes that exist in the forest. The sculptures are sited in an intimate glade, placed under their respective trees and reflecting the balance in the Dean between deciduous and coniferous trees.
In Randall-Page’s words: “The carvings are in no way simply academic enlargements, and both explore the relationship between surface pattern and its implications of integral structure.
The cone is asymmetrical; on one side the surface is low relief pattern, on the other the pattern swells to become full-blown sculptural form, all of which relates to an implied internal structure. I wanted the imagination of the viewer to be drawn beyond the surface into the core of the stone. The acorn too is an investigation of growth, but the unseen element here is the fruit itself, this absence drawing attention to the adjacent oak tree which becomes the complementary element.”
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About the Artist
Peter Randall-Page was born in the UK in 1954 and studied sculpture at Bath Academy of Art from 1973-1977. Randall-Page has gained an international reputation through his sculpture, drawings and prints. His practice has always been informed and inspired by the study of natural phenomena and its subjective impact on our emotions. He has undertaken numerous large-scale commissions and exhibited widely. His work is held in public and private collections throughout the world including Japan, South Korea, Australia, USA, Turkey, Eire, Germany and the Netherlands. A selection of his public sculptures can be found in many urban and rural locations throughout the UK including London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, Oxford and Cambridge and his work is in the permanent collections of the Tate Gallery and the British Museum amongst others. See more on the artist’s website: www.peterrandall-page.com
