Cobtree Museum of Kent Life
(1991)
Location : Cobtree Museum of Kent Life, Sandling, Maidstone, Kent
Materials : European Oak
Funding : South East Arts/KCC Arts Promotion/The Cobtree Trust
In 1991 I made a successful application for a six months Crafts Residency in Wood at the Museum of Kent Life near Maidstone in Kent. This was three days a week and a wonderful opportunity to establish myself in the world of woodworking. I devised a series of environmental workshops for all ages, demonstrated my craft, and experimented with making a kinetic sculpture, powered by wind. I was also asked to create a piece of public art to be sited at the museum. This led to the creation of the Cobtree Bench.
Cobtree Bench
Constructed at the museum workshop, this Cobtree Bench is made entirely from green English oak. Methods of jointing include mortice and tenons, dowels and dovetails. The design is inspired by wheels and tithe barns, celebrating traditional carpentry techniques and rural life. A variety of fruits, nuts and seeds, both wild and cultivated, are carved on the "wheel", suggesting the cycles of nature and regeneration.
The other side of Cobtree Bench
Cob Nut
Hop
Blackberry
Rose Hip
A series of primary school workshops took place in the museum workshop space. Here I devised and led workshops making kinetic moving toys from plywood and xylophones from reclaimed sea defence timber. A key feature I wanted to incorporate into the workshops was tree planting - that the children should understand that we have to give back and not just take from the natural world. Over the course of my residency over 200 native trees were planted in the grounds of the museum.
