Artwalks

Sculptures in Campbell Park


The Object: Dhruva Mistry, 1995-7 location
Stainless steel
behind Milton Keynes Gallery, towards Campbell Park
Purchased by the Commission for the New Towns (now English Partnerships)

The Object was developed from earlier works by Dhruva Mistry in which he combined images of the human figure with geometric forms, or used an object - such as a chair - to represent human presence. In this work he has created a curious architectural structure of planes, crystalline forms and cut-outs, which alludes to fairytale palaces and dream castles. Although there seems to be an entrance, physical entry is impossible. As the viewer moves around the sculpture, perspectives distort and expectations are confounded, in the same way as space is contorted in an Escher drawing. Dhruva Mistry was born and studied in India, coming to England in his early twenties to further his career as a sculptor. His work combines the rich imagery and narrative of Indian art with influences of Western sculptural traditions. His commissions have included large public works such as his sculptural pieces for Victoria Square in Birmingham.

Armillary Sphere: Justin Tunley, 1995 location
Mild steel, laser cut and painted
The Labyrinth, near Silbury Boulevard
Commissioned by Midsummer Housing Association and donated to Milton Keynes Parks Trust

An armillary sphere is a model of the ancient celestial sphere used to fix the positions of heavenly bodies. A central 'gnomon' or shadow caster, runs through the centre of the sphere, parallel to the earth's axis. The gnomon casts a vertical shadow over the inside face of the planetary ring running around it. As the earth rotates, the relative positions of the sun, gnomon and planetary ring change, moving the shadow in a clockwise direction. The distinctive series of vertical and angled cuts around the planetary ring represent Roman numerals; those on the lower face representing Greenwich mean time, and those on the upper face, British summertime. The large holes running along the band's centre mark the hours, the smaller holes represent 10 minute intervals. Justin Tunley is a designer and artist who lives and works in Milton Keynes. For information about the artist see www.tunley.co.uk


Chain Reaction: Ray Smith, 1992 location
Mild steel, laser cut and painted
Skeldon Gate, off Silbury Boulevard
Commissioned by Milton Keynes Development Corporation and donated to Milton Keynes Parks Trust

Ray Smith is well known for his imaginative commissions for public places and for his sensitive responses to the often complex functional and aesthetic requirements of a particular site. His work ranges from individual sculptural and painted works to entire urban design projects incorporating street furniture and metalwork. Chain Reaction was commissioned for its site in Campbell Park and sponsored by a large number of local developers. It has been designed to be viewed from every angle. Ray Smith describes the work: 'The basic idea for the sculpture is the simple notion of slotting one flat cut-out figure into another to create ...a three-dimensional model of figures balanced like acrobats. The forms are simple and universal.....The figures that make up the column are links in an endless chain. The structure is large in scale but also refers to tiny self-replicating molecular structures. Chain Reaction pays homage to the Endless Column of Brancusi. It refers to our aspirations but has its feet firmly planted on the ground'.

Circle Dance: Clare Wilks, 1997 location
Steel frame and willow
near the Grand Union Canal
Commissioned by Milton Keynes Craft Guild and the Commission for the New Towns and donated to Milton Keynes Parks Trust

Circle Dance is a living sculpture, created from fresh willow wands planted and threaded through a structure of steel rods. The sculpture resembles a group of figures holding hands in dance, moving so fast that they seem almost to merge into one another. The sculpture was created by willow artist Clare Wilks and the steel frame welded by local blacksmith, Tim Ward. Circle Dance was initially commissioned for the annual Midsummer Art Show in Milton Keynes and sited on the roof of an entrance to the Central Business Exchange. It was re-sited in Campbell Park in 1998. Clare Wilks has undertaken a range of private and public commissions, working in gardens, parks, on riverbanks, in buildings and in galleries, creating large-scale permanent and temporary structures. Much of her work can be viewed from inside as well as out to engage the viewer and explore the links between organic sculpture and architecture. She often works with willow, but has also used poplar, bamboo, rattan, rope and feathers in her work.

Gnomon (Shadow Caster): Peter Bowker, 1994 location
Ffestinog blue grey slate and bronze
Situated near the Pavilion
Commissioned by Milton Keynes Parks Trust

A gnomon is the stationary arm that projects the shadow on a sundial, and this sculpture has been designed to act as a shadow caster. A ley-line is thought to run through the centre of Milton Keynes and the sculpture takes its reference from this prehistoric track, its form relating to such ancient structures as Stonehenge. The work was made as a site specific piece and has been constructed of untreated slate, celebrating the beauty of the material in its natural state. The work has also been nick-named the cricket piece due to its resemblance to cricket stumps and proximity to the cricket pitch.

Head: Allen Jones, 1990 location
Corten steel
Situated between Overgate and the Grand Union Canal
Purchased by Milton Keynes Development Corporation and donated to Milton Keynes Parks Trust

Allen Jones was a major protagonist of British Pop Art, an artistic movement of the 1960s and 70s that looked to popular culture for its inspiration, and paralleled similar developments in the USA by artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. Jones has worked in a range of media, creating murals, stage sets and costumes - as well as sculpture, paintings and prints. Head is a simply constructed yet powerful sculpture in which the artist has used two dimensional silhouettes to create a three dimensional form. The sculpture suggests a tent structure and initially seems to be an entirely abstract piece. However, as the viewer walks round the work, it gradually reveals itself and a human profile becomes apparent. The artist has deliberately constructed the piece to encourage visitors to spend time with it and explore it. The work has been created from corten steel, which weathers over time to create a textured surface.

Artwork in Willen Park and Newlands Park

Willen Maze: Neil Higson and Tim Minett, 1985 location
Turf and bronze
Willen Peace Park
Commissioned by Milton Keynes Development Corporation and donated to Milton Keynes Parks Trust

Willen Maze is a turf maze based on an enlarged version of the Saffron Walden Rosicrucian Maze and designed by landscape architect Neil Higson. At its centre is an oak tree and in each of the four lobes - at the cardinal points of the compass - is a bronze face designed by the sculptor Tim Minett. The four bronze faces represent the four main races of mankind and are inspired by the faces on teh artist's bollards in the Shopping Centre. The maze unifies them in peace and places them in the context of dominant nature, symbolised by the oak tree.

Peace Pagoda: Professor Minoru Ohka and Tom Hancock, 1980 location
Concrete
Willen Peace Park
Built and owned by Nipponzan Myohoji

The first of its kind in the West, the Milton Keynes Peace Pagoda was built by the monks and nuns of the Nipponzan Myohoji, a spiritual non-violent movement, and enshrines sacred relics of Lord Buddha presented from Nepal, Sri Lanka and Berlin. The Pagoda frieze, of traditional design, tells the story of Buddha, from his birth 2,500 years ago at the foot of the Himalayas, to his death at Kusinagara after 50 years of teaching. The Peace Pagoda is a working Buddhist temple with regular services.

The Circle of Hearts Medicine Wheel, 2000
Stone and gravel
Willen Lakeside North location

The Circle of Hearts Medicine Wheel takes the form of a North American 'medicine wheel', a universal symbol of peace. It has been created by local volunteers in conjunction with Landscape Town and Country as a meeting place for Milton Keynes residents to celebrate the New Millennium with wishes for global peace in the 21st century.


The medicine wheel consists of two concentric circles of stones, with longer stones at the north, south, east and west points. The grass space between the circles is divided into four sectors and a depression for occasional fires is located in a smaller circle covered in gravel and planted with wild flowers.

The design was inspired by the legends of the Hopi Nation in North America whose prophesies foretell an age of peace when all nations from the four corners of the earth join a common effort to live in peace and harmony. The Hopi are now a small tribe based in the 'four corners' region of the USA where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. They believe we are living in the fifth world of man when the human race assembled at ' four corners' and were instructed to spread out in the four directions - north, south, east and west. Four also represents the elements - fire, water, air, earth.

The wheel's design also pays homage to British traditions of building circles alongside meeting places and important sites. Two extra pairs of stones situated in the NE and SW of the circle, align with the needle stone alongside the Lake. These join the 'line' of the Midsummer sunrise that runs through the tree cathedral to Midsummer Boulevard in the centre of Milton Keynes.

Tree Cathedral: Neil Higson, 1986 location
Fastigiate hornbeam, pines, limes, willow, horse chestnut, fastigate oaks
Newlands Park, off Livingstone Drive
Designed and planted by Milton Keynes Development Corporation and donated to Milton Keynes Parks Trust

This cathedral of trees is based on Norwich Cathedral and designed by landscape architect Neil Higson. The plan of the 'building' was shaped in earth and planted in 1986, with a range of different tree species used to establish the character of its component parts. Neil Higson describes its planting, 'Tall evergreen trees form the central tower and spires of the west and east ends, and pines define the walls. The Nave is lined with Fastigate Hornbeam and tall growing Lime trees. Poplars occupy the north and south aisles, removed as slower growing species reach maturity. The choir is planted with Golden Ash and the chancel in Holm Oak. Flowering cherries and apples form foci in the chapels. The Transepts are simply treated but punctuated with small columnar evergreens at focal points. The Cloisters take the form of a large slightly sunken square lined with Hornbeam and the Chapter House is a conical mound, crowned with laurels, from the top of which the cathedral can be viewed....and colourful bulb planting interprets the effect of sun shining through the stained glass windows onto the grounds.'

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