Our week at Hampton

Children take on Hampton Court Flower Show.

"Child prodigy is a curse because you've got all those terrible possibilities" 

- Itzhak Perlman

They say that it's a sad day when a father realises that his children are faster/ stronger/ smarter than they are.  I wholeheartedly disagree.  Fully cognisant as I am of my own limitations, I think it's fantastic when the next generation show signs of progressing past my own (if you ever need to understand how a mobile phone works just give it to a 10 year old).

At Marshall Murray one of our stated aims is to bring on and nurture the future of British artists and designers.  We shall be running exhibitions of fresh talent at various upcoming exhibitions, running competitions to gain entry to some of the country's most respected shows and helping artists and artisans to find studio space and a platform through our collaboration with Riverhill Gardens.  Well, here's a really fun example of what kids can do if given a voice.

Max's beautiful layout and simple design

We recently set a challenge to the design department at Trinity School (www.trinity-school.org/) to design one of our six mini-gardens at the Hampton Court Flower Show.  The students were given some examples of the sculpture that we would be showing, and the brief was to create a 2x2m space with their chosen piece and then dressed how they saw fit.

The responses were simply genius.

Some went for simple elegance, Max Finch used box hedging and water to create a tranquil space in which to recline on a contemporary wicker chaise seat by Spencer Jenkins - his slides were presented beautifully and I could readily see the design at an RHS show. 

Others went for abstraction and impact.  William Perry created perhaps my favourite individual slide, describing his garden thus:

"In my garden I have built a viewing point, installed a vending machine and put in some roses"

This line is brilliant, as is the supporting image showing the roses laying on the floor by the Coke machine, reminiscent of 1980s rock videos while making a point about consumerism in design.  Loved it.

Julian Wild's "Totem", picked by Luke

Luke Yeulett created a garden on several levels, formal and geometric.

Water and simple planting accent the grass ledges.  This would have worked really well with the industrial artwork by Julian Wild.  The school have plans to build this design in miniature, which I'm really looking forward to seeing.  Amazing facilities at that school, I was impressed with my DT's department having a bandsaw - this lot have 3D printers and access to some amazing bits of kits.

The winning entry was from Euan Baird, who detailed a simple rosemary hedge that would compliment the tones of the stone wonderfully, plus an interesting take on a viewing platform to see the marble piece (by Paul VanStone) from various heights.

Congratulations to Euan, he has won two tickets to Hampton Court, plus a signed book and entry to our sculpture garden at Riverhill House.

Special mention also goes to Josh Kenny, his planting plan and mood board were excellent examples.

If this project is anything to go by then the future of British design is in good hands.  I sincerely hope that all of the entrants enjoyed the challenge and continue to put time into designing beautiful things - watch this space!

Euan's chosen sculpture in Iranian onyx

 

Josh Kenny's elegant planting design.

We are also doing a similar exercise with a primary school in Frant - they have been set the challenge of replicating any of our artworks in any material they so choose.  The results will doubtless be equal part inspiring and adorable, so watch this space!

Yours,

Marshall Murray

Our first season at Riverhill House

Well, our sculpture garden is now in full swing.  There are around 40 of the final 50 due in for the first season, the bluebells are in full bloom and it's all looking rather wonderful.

Riverhill House is an amazing estate, there are more details on an earlier blog about the collaboration (http://marshallmurray.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/escape-to-country.html).  Right now both the bluebells are and the rhododendrons are out in force.  Couldn't ask for a more perfect setting for some gorgeous contemporary art.

There are lots of events planned for this season, from evenings with notable sculptors to those in which you can take part in the creation of art under the guidance of some of Britain's finest sculptors.

The gardens are open much of the week, for details you can see their opening times here.

Sculpture maps and guides are available at the ticket kiosk, there is a wonderful coffee shop and cafe.  It is also a fantastic place for the family, with children's events and safe play areas throughout the grounds.

To see a short video of the gardens, as well as some of our pieces, please see the following video:

To find out more, be put on our mailing list for art events or to arrange a guided tour, please contact us on enquiries@marshallmurray.co.uk.

Thanks, and the very best from us all at Marshal Murray,

Regards,

Oliver

Oliver Hawkins - Director

The Chelsea Centenary

The calm before the storm.

"There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it" - Alfred Hitchcock

Well, it's two days before the build starts for the Chelsea Flower Show 2013 and I feel old.

I'm sure that this is partly to do with the fact that it is 07:00 and I've been at the desk for a couple of hours already, enough to add decades to any man.  Largely though it is the result of an inability to believe that it has been a whole year since I was facing the exciting terror of entering my first ever CFS build.  Time's covert progression never ceases to amaze me, if it were not for the growing community of grey hairs peppering my temples I would assume that someone had been playing with my desktop calendar.

Still, plans are in better shape than they were this time last year.  12 months ago, having only had 2 weeks to prepare, I still faced a mountain of unfinished planning.  Though, on the plus side I was blissfully doe eyed and innocent of all the things that could go wrong.  Still, despite the "Challenge Annika" vibe both our sales and the contacts I made were better than I had hoped so, by the desperate logic of the fearful, this year should be commensurately more successful?  A large part of me is extremely grateful for how fast the past 12 months have passed - Chelsea is the highlight of my year and this year is going to be a great one.

We'll be sure to keep you posted!!

Best,

Oliver - Director, Marshall Murray

Always Luccon on the bright side of life...

... fine, that rather weak pun may not be the most appropriate title for a blog about a rather high end and gorgeous material, but I couldn't resist.

'Luccon' concrete is a beautiful material manufactured in Austria but used in projects around the world, from Singapore to Australia.  It has all of the structural strength of a typical concrete, but with the added feature of translucency.  This creates some genuinely stunning shapes and the potential for some really interesting sculptural furniture.

 

I am currently working on a project utilizing this material and my head is spinning with the possibilities.  Integrated seating seems a good fit, but this could equally be an interior wall, kitchen counter, wall art, etc.

People's interaction with walls built in Luccon is a really fun part of any installation; the novelty of casting shadows through solid walls turns erstwhile mature and sensible types into children.

'Tron' anyone?

You can see examples of this here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40XlyXjwVMQ&feature=fvwrel

Great for style, terrible for hide & seek.

 

It’s made by layering concrete and fiber optics in such a way to allow light to pass.  Very clever stuff. 

I love the patterns carved into the surface of the concrete, the vibrancy of the light paths and erratic colours.  I'll keep you posted re; the design as it progresses, in the meantime enjoy these shots of previous applications.

What do you think? Love it? Hate it?  I always love to hear 1st impressions. 

Festive cheers to you all,

Marshall Murray

Making connections.

"We're born alone, we live alone and we die alone.  Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for a moment that we're not alone"

- Orson Welles

Our planet is getting smaller.  

The ease with which we can visit international friends or family, or make use of a world of incredible ways with which to communicate, can make us at times complacent about the threat of disconnection.  Social media has exploded onto the public consciousness, allowing us to honestly claim a network of hundreds, perhaps thousands of friends.  Yet loneliness appears to be rising almost as steadily as our proximity to our neighbours shrinks.  How is it that as we live closer together we are pulled apart?

Julian Wild's 'Morpheme'

 A study in 2009 by the BBC looking at life in the UK attempted to create a loneliness index to chart social fragmentation, to see where the highest concentration of people that felt drastically disconnected from their community lived.  Data was driven from census information taken in 1971 and 2001, the study then ranked places using a formula based on the proportion of people in an area who are single, those who live alone, the numbers in private rented accommodation and those who have lived there for less than a year.  The higher the proportion of people in those categories, the less rooted the community, according to social scientists. They refer to it as the level of "anomie" or the "feeling of not belonging". 

Two findings are immediately apparent: The weakest communities in 1971 were significantly stronger than any community thirty years later.  Cities appear to create the least cohesive communities.

This trend has caused a reaction in a number of artists to try and use art to both raise awareness of this increasingly modern phenomenon and to provoke a reaction, to use their work to inspire retaliation.

Julian Wild is a new addition to our stable of artists, his work explores this principle of our connection to those around us.  His 2009 project "Making a Connection" created vast communal pieces of art using everyday, low cost materials.  Hundreds of people came together in venues across the UK to build undirected structures, free flowing and unbounded.  300 metres of plumber's pipe was assembled and then collapsed by an eclectic mix of all sections of society, the creation process as much of the artwork as the piece.

"Making a Connection", Tabernacle 2009

The work creates relationships; between the piece and the space, contributors and artist, rough materials and high aesthetic.  Taking something as inexpensive, overlooked and commonplace as plumber's piping and using it to facilitate meaningful art is a concept that I love.

"Making a Connection", Bankside 2009

This theme of interaction between objects continues throughout Julian's work.  Small pieces of granular materials are fused together to create a line of work he titled 'Systems'.  Conjuring images of machinery and function, this description perfectly captures the industrial feel of modern life that has  led to our increasing sense of ennui and disconnection.

"System 1"

I love his work, the lines and patterns that make up his pieces turn a wonderfully conceived idea into art that is stunning on an aesthetic basis alone.  I find that I can stare at these indefinitely, seeing something new every time as my brain scans for imposed visual meaning, a modern cloud-gazing.

Both Julian and I are interested in taking the industrial and marrying it with the organic.  We are fortunate to represent Julian at our upcoming sculpture garden (launching in Spring 2013, see website for detail), placing these pieces in quintessentially British countryside will be a wonderful juxtaposition.

"System 3"

 We shall also be running a sister project to the "Making  a Connection", creating vast and snaking structures within woodlands, open ground, through collapsed buildings, the opportunity is incredibly exciting and I shall keep you posted.  If you would like to get involved then do contact us to be put on the mailing list, collaborating with an artist of Julian's calibre in creating something beautiful on the grounds of a Kentish estate is a rare opportunity, one for which  cannot wait.

Thanks for reading and remember, if the theme of loneliness rings true with you then simply remember the words of D.H Lawrence:

"Perhaps only those people who are capable of real togetherness have that look of being alone in the world"

Yours,

Marshall Murray