Client: Michael McInerney
Location: Brookmans Park, United Kingdom
Completion date: 2017
Artwork budget: $35,000
Project Team
Artist
Diane Maclean
Industry Resource
John Proctor
Birch Engineering Ltd
Industry Resource
Steve Hyams
Birch Engineering Ltd
Overview
An installation sculpture composed of 5 identical elements. Coloured stainless steel is a material I use in many of my works. The red colour is particularly beautiful and I associated it with the red cloth worn by nomadic tribes of east Africa. The colour is created by light entering an oxide layer on the surface of the polished material, the colour changing as you move around. Dimensions: Height of each 2.8 metres Diameter at base of each 1.3 metres Area overall approx 8 x 8 metres Materials: Red coloured stainless steel, stainless steel structure, lights
Goals
Nomads was commissioned by a private collector. He had seen photos of my sculpture on my website and asked me to create a new installation sculpture for the park-like gardens around his house. Many of my sculptures have geometric forms which counter and complement the complications of nature, plus I spent 15 years living in many countries of Africa, a nomadic life. Combined with the idea of using red coloured stainless steel, the idea of Nomads was born. In discussion with the client, we decided on 5 identical elements, with an inner structure of stainless steel supporting lights which form pools of light under each piece in darkness hours. I measured and marked the site with the client, choosing an area of grass beneath tall trees with a background of dense foliage. Circles of white stone beneath each element separate the Nomads from the surrounding greenery.
Process
The design approved and budget agreed with the client, drawings and small models were produced for the engineer to work from. A mock-up was made of one element to check the best method of fabrication. The engineers tested lighting and installation method. The red material was laser-cut and specialist curved. A power supply was put in by a lighting engineer, laying cable under the grass. Birch Engineering installed the 5 structures and I joined them to attach the red material to complete the work.
Additional Information
Night-time photos will become available