Above: Fish Pool by Diane Maclean

Go on an immersive journey through art and nature at the Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park, near Ripon, at its new 60 collection artwork exhibition entitled Sculpture in the Landscape. It opens for the season next week on Thursday April 18 until the end of October 2024.

Showcasing artists from across the globe, the pieces are dotted around the 45 acres of gardens and will be on display along with the 90 mixed media permanent sculptures.

Willow Snow Tiger by Leila Veneer

From monumental installations to intricate pieces, each sculpture will invite those visiting the garden to think about the artwork in a unique and thought-provoking manner. This is all to the backdrop of the gardens that are home to more than 20,000 plants, including one of the North’s largest collection of rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias.

Visitors can expect to encounter sculptures crafted from a myriad of materials, each telling a unique story and the garden can make for a great day out for art enthusiasts, nature lovers, and families alike.

Barn Owl And Vole by Bryn Parry

Will Roberts from the Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park said:

“We are delighted to present this exhibition, celebrating the intersection of art and nature.

“This year’s exhibition features a rich tapestry of creative expressions, offering visitors an unparalleled opportunity to immerse themselves in the beauty of both the sculptural and natural worlds and provides a platform for established and emerging artists to showcase their talent while fostering dialogue about the environment, culture, and society.”

The artwork will also be available for visitors to buy should they wish; just head to this link for details.

Gallery

A Vessel by Cillian Briody

Mr And Mrs Pig by Henrietta Bud

Fallen Fruit, Apple III by Chris Moss

A Vessel by Cillian Briody

The Watchman by Rory Cannon

A Brisk Walk by Simon Conolly RBSA, RSMA

Aderyn by Stephen Page

Swift Return by Gill Wicks BA(Hons) Fashion Design, PGCE

Blue Door Sycamore by Dave Watkinson

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Hammer and chisel on stone. Those three basics have not changed much in thousands of years, but this hidden gem Pateley Bridge sculptor hopes to carve his name in the history books.

Joseph Hayton is based in the King Street Workshops. It was once a base for bin lorries and rat catchers but is now a crafts hub where people work on and sell their creations.

Starting out as a stonemason, Joseph soon got a taste for more intricate work and he turned to sculpture full-time 10 years ago.

Ever since, he has picked up plenty of awards and also built up a stunning collection. Joseph is moving towards more abstract themes but has always been fascinated by faces.

Photographs may have dulled the effect for some, but when people wander into the workshop they are often taken aback by how realistic the sculptures are.

When Joseph sat down for this interview he was still thinking about his next piece. As he moulded out a small piece of clay, he told the Stray Ferret:

“I am becoming a bit name in the world of carving and sculpture. How can I say it without sounding like a ****? I have a bit of a reputation at the moment and it continues to grow.

“The thing is with this job, and any creative job, there’s a weird way of thinking. You are never quite happy, it’s almost like an addiction.

“I always have to march forward, nothing is ever quite good enough. I do not really feel proud, I just feel like I need to make more pieces and get better.”

In most art forms, people can either use a rubber or more paint to cover up any mistakes. But you cannot add more stone to a sculpture.

This is probably the most common question that people ask of sculptors. So how does Joseph prevent serious mistakes?

“It’s a bit like when you drive. When you are driving down a country road and you cannot see what is coming, you go steady and you are cautious.

“That is just like when you are carving out the end of a nose or an eyelid. You are very, very steady because you know it can go wrong. Slow right down, use smaller tools.

“On the other hand, when you are roughing out you know you can use bigger tools and work more quickly. If I do go wrong I can change things slightly.

“But the big mistakes like knocking a huge lump off, they do not happen because when you know there is a possibility of that you slow right down.”

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Sculptures can capture a person or a moment in history. They are difficult to change, but the conversation around them can.

The most obvious examples over the past year have been the tearing down of the Edward Colston statue in Bristol and the plan to put up a new statue of Margaret Thatcher in Grantham.

It is a difficult subject to broach, but customers have asked Joseph about the topic a lot recently. So what does he think?

“I try not to get involved in the politics of it all, it’s a tough question to answer. If someone approaches me for a sculpture I will make it.

“People often get ask me about it. I think we should put the statues into context, put up a new plaque and raise awareness. It’s very interesting.”

This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series, highlighting small, independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.

StrayArt is a monthly column written by Johnny Messum, Director and Founder of art gallery and centre, Messum’s Wiltshire, London and Harrogate.  Johnny’s passion is for contemporary art and sculpture.

Each month he will look at art, exhibitions and events across Yorkshire and sometimes further afield with the aim of guiding and inspiring us.

It is a challenge to feel clear about the immediate future. We have new structures to adhere to, I have visors supplied for my team in the car, along with the NHS track and trace QR code to go in the window.

What should have been alongside me instead, was the formidable British sculptor, Bridget McCrum, whose family, the Bains, hail from Leeds. Now in her late eighties she was planning to come to the opening of her show in James Street.

Along the way I had imagined us discussing sculpture in the landscape, something that is taking on added dimensions, not least because it is one of the few places where we can safely view art without PPE, but also because it is, in itself, interesting and complex.

Amongst the myriad attractions of Yorkshire, the landscape has to rank amongst the highest. It is a daunting partner to duet with as a sculptor. There is nowhere this subject is more comprehensively demonstrated than at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, where I went to see the work of a friend, Sean Henry, and of an artist I am showing in London, Jorgen Haugen Sorensen.

Set into the landscape there, each work takes its cue from the ground around it. I sometimes think that of all the artists, perhaps only local boy, Henry Moore, had the swagger to meet the rolling landscape toe to toe, so to speak. His work stands resolutely chest open to the wind and wilds.

A stunning life-size sculpture ‘Seated Figure’ by Sean Henry at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Above picture and featured image credit: Jonty Wilde curtesy of YSP.

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The rule of thumb in placing sculpture in the landscape is one of scale and context. Seldom best placed in wide open spaces, they often prefer the same locations humans do, close to the house, in glades between shrubs or woodland corpses. This is seen well in the locations chosen in the Himalayan Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grewelthorpe, near Ripon, which is open to the public until November 1, 2020.

Utopia: A stunning vista of the Himalayan Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grewelthorpe.

Sculptures placed outside really come into their own in the autumn. They become the key focus until the verdant spring surges forward once more. It is the perfect time to head into the open air as the greenery falls away and the landscape itself becomes more architectural.

Do be careful though with the choice of materials; the weather does not spare sculptures any more than other objects, so stones need to be wrapped if it gets cold and on a hot afternoon rub beeswax into the exposed bronzes. Perhaps the artist who most willingly accepted the ravages of time is Cheshire-born artist, Andy Goldsworthy, whose work picks up and changes with the rhythms of the seasons.

Next time I shall be bringing the boat to harbour so to speak and talking about living with art in the house – combining old and new objects and thinking about ways of displaying artworks to their best advantage.

Messum’s Yorkshire is open from Thursday to Saturday 10am-5pm. For more information, visit the website by clicking here.

The process to replace the damaged sculptures in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens is underway after private donors gave about £2,000.

Vandals ripped out chunks of wood from the kiwi bird and the carved Maori bench in the New Zealand garden section of Valley Gardens in July.

Harrogate International Partnerships (HIP), a grant-making charity that supports the twinning of places, has led attempts to replace the sculptures with more durable versions.

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With some funding now in place, Dennis Richard, chair of HIP, told the Stray Ferret it was working with Harrogate Borough Council on plans for replacement sculptures:

“It was shocking to see the state that the sculptures are in. We know we need to put this right as soon as possible. Damage attracts more damage so it needs to be fixed.”

The carved Maori bench has been badly damaged.

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson told the Stray Ferret it was too early to provide fuller details of timescales and plans.

The New Zealand garden commemorates Harrogate’s twinning with Wellington and the country’s airmen being stationed in the town during World War Two.

The garden dates back to 1954 and chainsaw sculptor Mick Burns carved the Marlin, Kiwi, and bench in 2010.

A contemporary art gallery has relocated from Kirbymoorside to Harrogate.

Bils & Rye on John Street specialise in 3D works such as sculptures and ceramics, as well as abstract paintings. The owner said there’s room in the market and he hopes the move will add to Harrogate’s rich culture scene.

The owner, Nick Bentley, decided to move his gallery to Harrogate as a result of taking part in an arts festival in 2015. He told the Stray Ferret that Harrogate has great competition for art galleries and he would much rather position himself among his idols in the business.

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He said:

“Harrogate has always been a top destination and the strength of the competition here is brilliant. I think there’s room in the market. We have a very different offering to other galleries, yet I think we can work quite well together and put Harrogate on the map as an art destination.

The gallery will be selling sculptures by Simon Gudgen, as well as internationally acclaimed contemporary British painter Dion Salvador Lloyd.

Despite opening up during a pandemic, Nick told the Stray Ferret that covid has given him more opportunities. He said:

“For me, corona was like a gift of time – it really gave me time to think and realise that this is what I want to do. Because I am relocating the business it gave me chance to say ‘lets do it, but let’s do it right’.”

The gallery will open its doors for the first time in Harrogate this weekend and visitors are advised to pre book an appointment.

Vandals have ripped out large chunks of wood from sculptures in Valley Gardens dedicated to Harrogate’s links with New Zealand.

Both the kiwi bird and the carved Maori bench were missing large chunks when The Stray Ferret visited the gardens today.

There are some chippings close to the carved Maori bench indicating that the damage was deliberate.

The carved Maori bench has also been badly damaged.

Ann Beeby, the secretary for the Friends of Valley Gardens, told The Stray Ferret she feared that the sculptures could not be repaired or replaced:

“We get very upset when mindless vandalism of this sort happens in a park, especially at this time when a safe and attractive outdoor space is so important. These sculptures can never be replaced, they can only be removed, which is what will happen if there is further damage.”

Harrogate Borough Council has told The Stray Ferret that it will look into whether the sculptures can be repaired.

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Councillor Andy Paraskos, the cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

“We are really disappointed to see that the sculptures in the New Zealand garden in Valley Gardens appear to have been vandalised. These were carved to complement the gardens and make them more attractive for residents and visitors alike. We will look into whether repairs can be made but as they are carved from tree trunks this is easier said than done.”

A large chunk missing from the kiwi bird.

The New Zealand Garden commemorates Harrogate’s twinning with Wellington and the country’s airmen stationed in the town during World War Two.

The garden dates back to 1954 and chainsaw sculptor Mick Burns carved the Marlin, Kiwi, and bench in 2010.