Art in Wonderland – Jupiter Artland
Nicola McCartney, Friday, 3rd September 2010
In a bid to appease my pedestrian rage on the busy streets of Edinburgh’s fringe this month, I decided to take a trip out of the city and away from the galleries to Jupiter Artland, a majestic outdoor sculpture park entirely commissioned and curated by the private estate’s co-owner, Nicky Wilson.
Jupiter Artland currently houses some 23 works, small and large, by all the great contemporaries, including Ian Hamilton Finlay, Cornelia Parker, Anish Kapoor and Antony Gormley, to name just a few. Some are subtler than others, which make for a fun treasure hunt no matter how old you are – Peter Liversidge’s Winter Shadow is a group of tulips planted in the shape of a winter tree’s shadow whilst Laura Ford’s Weeping Girls haunt the forest’s unsuspecting corners so that one never feels quite alone.
Jupiter Artland’s foyer also houses temporary exhibitions, the current being one of Jim Lambie’s familiar floor-tape installations. He is also, unusually, the latest artist commissioned to make a permanent outdoor work for the site. Steading Wall (see above) is a reflective surface made of chrome panels covering the back wall of the main entrance to Jupiter Artland. The layers of chrome peel away at the edges to reveal sheets of colour that compliment the reflection of its natural surrounding. It is hard to believe that the featured peacock is real and not another work of art, yet he is emblematic of Jupiter Artland’s idyllic setting.
Nicky invites the artists to spend time in the grounds exploring and deliberating their commissions in situ, making the work considered and impossible to imagine anywhere else. Each piece is independent, even when made by the same artist, but cumulatively whets the appetite for more. From the hidden gems of Shane Waltener’s artificial web and Andy Goldsworthy’s derelict outhouse to the vast open space of Charles Jencks’ Life Mound, I never tired of the wonder at how each of these pieces effortlessly flirted and interchanged with their surroundings.
Image credit: Photograph by Euan Wielewski
Previous
ShareThis | LATEST NEWS & COMMMENT
Collectors’ focus
Wood carving flourished in Southern Germany in the late 15th century onwards, resulting in exquisitely crafted devotional sculptures. Today, these figures and reliefs may be found for as little as £5,000, though the best examples command high prices.
Comments
There are currently no comments for this article.
Post a comment