Tilgate Park 2004
Location : Environment Centre, Tilgate Park, Crawley, West Sussex
Materials : English Oak, 4 Wild Service Trees
Commissioned by: Crawley Borough Council

Passage is a five metre high sculpture, combining constructed and living elements. The constructed and carved element takes the form of two crossing arches, echoing the vaulted ceilings found in cathedrals. This structure is the starting point for a sculpture that will take several decades to reach maturity. The living element consists of four Wild Service Trees planted at the foot of each leg.

 

 

Passage will change its form over several decades. The mass of the oak arches will initially dominate the young trees. As time passes and the trees grow, they will come to match and then supersede the original structure. The trees will be trained, pruned and grafted in simple, but specific ways, using the oak structure as a framework with which to grow. When the trees grow beyond the scale of the structure they will be allowed to develop freely. When the structure eventually rots and is removed, the living element will hold in its form the memory of the constructed sculpture.

 

Place is formed by three elements, which combine to create an arcing seat. It is situated a few metres away from, and faces directly towards Passage. Aspects of the form of Passage are echoed in the design. Place is intended as a point of calm and stillness, from which to contemplate Passage, the work of the environment centre, and perhaps wider environmental issues.