THE beautiful gardens of Stoberry Park at Wells are a joy in themselves. Their views of Wells Cathedral and across to Glastonbury Tor are inspiring. And an exhibition of work by West Country sculptors brings a magical and exciting extra dimension to this lovely setting.
Beyond Horizons: Where Art, Nature and Community Meet – a New Horizon for Somerset, running to 4th October, very much fulfils the vision of Frances Meeres-Young, who owns Stoberry Park with her husband Tim, and had the original idea for what is intended to become an annual event.
That theme, particularly art and nature, is present from the moment you turn into the park that leads to Stoberry House and Garden. In the open fields on both sides of the track are giant ancient oaks, so beautiful that they are truly works of nature’s art – don’t miss them in your hurry to reach the exhibition!
Stoberry House and Garden as we see them now are the creation of Tim and Frances, who bought the property in the late 1990s – after some initial misgivings. It was a wilderness, left to ruin after the original mid-18th century mansion was demolished in 1957. The land was a medieval field, called Stabergh, which was the inspiration for the name.
“My first reaction was to turn around and flee,” Frances recalls, “but my husband fell in love with the view and the position, so persuaded me to reconsider and imagine a vision that could be created on the large blank canvas.”
Their garden, begun in 1997, is now one of Somerset’s finest, and exploring it as you enjoy the extensive and impressive sculptures is a big part of the enjoyment of this important exhibition.
The catalogue – an essential purchase as it has the story of the garden as well as details about all the exhibits and the artists and makers – helps you to find and clearly identify any of the works. It is an essential guide whether you start on the main lawn and around the pond as you walk in, or at the top, on the Terrace – don’t miss Ian Marlow’s enchanting bronze Lost in the Calmness of Reading (pictured), which may remind you of that delightful book, The Boy, the Mole, The Fox and The Horse.
Some of the most varied and interesting sculptures are in the Cathedral View area – the eye is immediately drawn to Gordon Faulds’ Sol Seeker (Future Crossing) – an inside-out, upside-down boat supported with carved rustic oars. But do make sure to look into the deeper darker corners and you will find delightful wonders like Rachael Goodison’s woven willow and wood Bubblegum Sucker and the “gravestone” message In Nature Nothing Exists Alone, created by textile artist Jan Ollis.
For me, one of the most charismatic works is Mike Thompson’s Cormorant. The Devon artist works exclusively with recycled vintage tools – the cormorant, holding its wings wide to dry them, is made from blades, secateurs, chains and other items. Positioned in front of a Cotinus Coggygria with its distinctive dark rust foliage, it is a magnificent sculpture. It is also rather disturbing – perhaps it is the idea of those multiple blades and chains that evoke images of slavery and punishment. However you view the piece, it has enormous power.
The walled garden could occupy a plant-lover for the whole afternoon, and the sculptures, some complementing the colour or shape of the plants, others hiding demurely to delight as you spot them, add hugely to this enjoyment. Candace Bahouth provides a bench, the seat a kaleidoscope of colours edged in dramatic black and white blocks. Zac Greening, much of whose inspiration comes from nature, shows the multi-media Winds of Change (pictured), moving bird-like figures on faceted columns that flicker as you move past them.
You could almost miss Brendon Murless’s Serenity, a giant green mask-face that hides in deep greenery, or Jenny Pickford’s exquisite Hyacinth and Iris, delicate sculptures in blown glass and forged steel.
Jenny Pickford has more floral pieces in Tor View, where Ian Marlow shows starkly beautiful Wings Unfolding and Growing Together, both in stainless steel. If your tastes are more classical, Martin Staniforth offers a powerful interpretation of Achilles – the Greeks’ greatest warrior is depicted as a toned and muscular torso, but it is his inner vulnerabilities that are exposed in a deep cut across his abdomen rather than his famous heel.
In addition to the sculptures displayed with great skill and imagination throughout the garden, there is also a gallery showcasing makers from Wales and the South West working within a range of craft disciplines, including ceramics, wood, wire, metal and enamel, and bas-relief plaster-work.
For more images of the sculptures and more information on the ideas behind the exhibition, including fund-raising for selected charities, see Private View https://www.theftr.co.uk/new-sculpture-exhibition-at-wells/
Pictured is a selection of sculptures, including Cormorant, Lost in the Calmness of Reading and Winds of Change, and one of the great oaks, with the cathedral below.
FC