Chapter 1: Mighty Oaks from Small Acorns Grow
Overview
It was the brain child of Bill Grant, head forester at Grizedale to initially bring art into the forest. In 1968 he developed the Theatre in the Forest. This lead to the creation of The Grizedale Society in 1969.
“In 1974 the reorganisation of county boundaries brought us out of North West Arts Association and into Northern Arts… We were initially approached in 1976 by Peter Davies, Visual Arts Officer of Northern Arts, with a view to introducing sculpture into a forest situation… and in 1977 saw the establishment of the Grizedale Sculpture Project.” – Bill Grant in 1984/91. Peter Davies was instrumental in the development of the trail and the subsequent international recognition it received.
Between 1977 and 1999, the period Grizedale Society looked after the sculpture trail, a grand total of (at least) 196 sculptures were created and sited in the forest, some of which survive to this day, with more produced for the Gallery and by artists in residence in the workshops. ‘During his 27 years as director of the society Bill Grant was responsible for creating one of the largest collections of sculptures in the landscape in Europe.”
“What struck me… is the impressive diversity of sculptures produced. Some are jokey and entertaining, others are grandly architectural like the forest itself. Nearly all are ingenious and many are beautiful, delicately made. Some are vast enclosures or stockades, while others are small, subtle and so remote they are hard to find. In echoing the appearance of their immediate or distant surroundings, many pieces give the impression of being specifically tied to this place. They would simply not work anywhere else.” – David Lee Editor Art Review 1996
Bill Grant had his vision, he knew what he liked, but also what he didn’t. “The general perception from the interviews (with artists) was that if the director liked the work it would be promoted and put on the Guide Map, and if not it would be quietly forgotten about.” – Edwina Fitzpatrick creator of Grizedale Archive in 2014. This may explain why some artworks have little to no information about them which is a shame.
Nevertheless this period was for the most part a positive one. “The Grizedale Society has fused the arts and nature into a complete experience in the environs of this working forest… (it) has grown organically, developing a down to earth approach to art. Whilst it does not slot easily into the “established art scene”, the blend of voluntary and professional expertise has achieved consistently high artistic performance.” – Bill Grant 1991
“We’re not trying to educate arts officers or artists or anything like that. or arts administrators – they’re converted already. It’s the unconverted that we’ve got to work on, and if people come into (Grizedale) and they don’t go away with a very loud clear message about what sculpture in the open air is, then we’ll have failed” – Bill Grant
This defined the next two decades of sculpture at Grizedale. It is why I and many others loved the place as a child, and still do as an adult. “Hopefully Grizedale will continue to be a catalyst for new and thoughtful work.” – David Kemp, 1996
The Grizedale Experience
Insight into the experience of being an artist in residence and the Grizedale Experience between 1977 and 1999.
Commissioning Process:
“The commissioning processes changed significantly over the years, and from artist to artist. Most artists applied through open submission, although some were invited on the basis of previous work. Initially there tended to be a main artist in residence, with other ‘guest’ artists. Some were selected through a face-to-face panel interview, some were notified of the panel’s decision by post. On several occasions, artists applied for an advertised residency and were offered a different one instead.” Edwina Fitzpatrick 2014
Antony Holloway very kindly shared with me his initial acceptance letter to Grizedale. It states the artist was shortlisted and only after they have visited the forest, found a site and created a proposal that was agreed would the residency be confirmed and a sculpture created. I presume this was the main way sculptures were created and only subsequently would artists be invited back to produce more work.
Residencies:
“Grizedale is based on artists’ residences which last up to six months. The vitality of the project springs from the sculptors’ response to the working forest… Some work is of a temporary nature whilst other more permanent. A refreshing diversity in approach is shown the sculpture, which (is) sympathetic to the forest landscape, the sculptures are all sited by the sculptors… Much of the work is made on site.” – Peter Davies, in 1991
“The early residencies were either 3 or 6 months long, which meant that the artist was truly embedded in the forest and the valley. Later residencies were shorter, and often started as month long ones which could be extended by mutual agreement. Initially the residencies were intended to be open-ended projects in which the forest operated as a studio/place for open experimentation. However, by 1983 open submission artists were being asked to put in a specific proposal in response to the forest, although this rarely included a specific site. Once they had been invited, most artists stated that they were given a huge amount of freedom – sometimes they just made the proposed works, so the project operated more as a commission; others completed the original proposal and went on to create other works on site.” – Edwina Fitzpatrick
Working on Site:
“The artists had to agree the chosen site with the director and foresters. Occasionally sites were suggested to the artists in order to animate certain parts of the forest with sculpture; but with few exceptions all proposed sites were mutually agreed. Until 1989, the sculptures were primarily sited on, or near the 1O mile long Silurian Way. Its sheer length meant that artworks tended to be clustered in specific areas – their overall situation was usually decided through a pragmatic combination of accessibility for artists, and whether the area was due for felling.” – Edwina Fitzpatrick
“This practice might be regarded as a particular characteristic of Grizedale… The sculptor has the opportunity to choose a site amongst 9,000 acres of trees and 75 miles of forest tracks. For most artists the site was much more than a backdrop. The sculpture was built right there in the woods, designed to respond to aspects of the chosen site.” – David Kemp 1996
Starting Careers:
“Most of the artists who have stayed in the forest have been relatively young and at a formative stage in their careers. Thus none of the works produced there could be described as major sculptural achievements… It would (not) be appropriate to have a forest littered with masterpieces.” This would pose a problem in terms of “Conservation, value and security”. – Paul Overy, 1984
“They have had the opportunity to experiment with ideas, techniques and themes.” – David Kemp, 1996 “With the challenge of a nine acre forest, with around sixty works already in situ, has the effect of stretching and releasing young sculptors from previous inhibitions and working methods.” – Bill Grant in 1991
How long should art last?:
“Artists were very keenly aware of the existing cultural traces in the landscape (dry stone walls, earlier sculptures etc). They were therefore wary about adding permanent marks to this landscape and wanted their work to be temporary. Some who were working there in the early 90s expressed concern that they had felt under pressure to make permanent sculptures. There were also dilemmas about whether to repair work or not, and this applied particularly to artists who had several residencies.” – Edwina Fitzpatrick
“When does a work come down? The work out in the forest is not protected or supervised and therefore must stand up to the weather and usage.” – Peter Davies in 1991. “Works do disintegrate, some are vandalised or taken away to be exhibited elsewhere but in general the sculptures belong to the forest and in the natural course of things, would be reclaimed by the forest.” – Dr Stephanie Brown, 1984 “The sculptures are in essence, temporary… like man, they have a finite span.” Vicky Slowe Painter, 1996.
“An ad hoc principle applied to whether the work was maintained or not. When storms damaged the work, the director often used this to decommission some pieces whilst deciding to maintain others. There was always the dilemma about how many artworks were needed for Grizedale to be both a viable tourist destination and a credible instigator of cutting edge sited artwork. This is why certain artworks appeared and disappeared from the Guide Maps.” – Edwina Fitzpatrick
“Most artists were not informed that their work was being decommissioned – although there is a very polite letter in the archive to Andy Goldsworthy informing him about Sidewinder’s demise. Sometimes works were accidentally decommissioned because of damage created through nearby felling and many works that were preserved during the felling process were completely changed by the lack of trees around them.” – Edwina Fitzpatrick
“The areas surrounding many of the older sculptures have radically altered over the years. Work hidden amongst mature trees has been exposed, whilst other sculptures sited in open clearings have become obscured by new growth… The sculptures are subject to the same natural cycles of change that rule the rest of the forest… the moss grows, the wood rots, the sculptures… eventually return to earth… Sculptures that have started to disintegrate are removed annually.” – David Kemp 1996
Lasting Influence:
“”The Grizedale Society Sculpture Project offers a unique opportunity to both the artist and the public to explore and experience. The Grizedale Experience has influenced a generation of sculptors and art administrators… More sympathy is evident towards the purchase of artists time towards a specific commission rather than an off-the-shelf studio purchase.” Peter Davies in 1991.
“It is astonishing how Grizedale has, in such a short time, made such a big impact on the artistic community and it is no surprise that foreign arts administrators flock there in order to see how a sculpture park might best be organised.” David Lee 1996
Prudential Award for the Arts Winner 1990
The Forestry Commission formed the Grizedale Society to help further the arts in the forest. In 1990, the Society was awarded the Prudential Award for the Arts. “In tribute for a leap of imagination that has enriched our perception and understanding of art in the landscape.” The prize money of £100,000 went towards new commissions from Goldsworthy, Matthews and Harris all of whom had sited in Grizedale early on in their careers and who were now all internationally renowned artists in their own right.
It also went to establish residencies for young sculptors. Furthermore this money allowed for the creation of a new sculpture trail, the Ridding Wood trail, an accessible trail for children and less mobile visitors. Finally a portion of the money allowed the continuation of the Artists In Schools Project, where sculptors visited local schools in the areas and with the help of the children made artworks.
“The Grizedale Experience must surely signal how much can be achieved when a number of organisations work in concord, each contributing to the whole. At Grizedale Northern Arts supports the Society with core funding and expertise, the Forestry Commission provides the space and accommodation… whilst the Grizedale Society contributes the flair, the imagination and above all the courage to bring the vision to fruition,” – Bill Grant 1991
Unknown & Unsited Sculptures
Sculptures that have been listed as being in Grizedale that I cannot find any details about or mysterious markings in the forest that I can’t place.
Carved Rock Compass
Carved into a rock on the Bogle Crag Trail, next to the huge outcrop which featured both Chieftain in a Hot Spot & Charcoal Art. This is two carvings partly following the grain of the rock with curves coming off them. I don’t know the date of this carving. To me it bares resemblance to the lines and curves on Celtic Ring, a few minutes down the path.
I don’t believe it is a sculpture in its own right, (the name was suggested to me by a fellow sculpture hunter). It’s either part of a larger artwork now gone – but I have no idea what. Or is preliminary work from an artist – Gilbert Ward perhaps. Or was carved by either an artist or visitor because they wanted to/ could. Only a couple of artists over Grizedale’s history have carved into rock which makes it’s connection to Celtic Ring by Gilbert Ward, to me most likely.
Grizedale Forest Sculpture An Unofficial Archive 