Bord Waalk: Final sculpture balances art and nature
The final sculpture in the Bord Waalk trail has now been placed at the top of Horseshoe hill, opposite Amble Harbour Village.
Artist Stuart Langley (right) and contractor Barry Knox assemble Cracked, the last of the twelve new physical sculptures making up the Bord Waalk sculpture trail. Photo by Anna Williams.
The piece is made from carbon fibre and epoxy resin, with clear epoxy resin used for the cracks. The piece was then UV lacquered for protection. The sculpture is lit from within which will emphasise the cracks as light fades.
The concept for the sculpture came from Stuart Langley who is based in Hartlepool. Stuart told The Ambler “The idea behind it is to do with the fragility of life, and how precarious life can be. The eggs are balanced on each other but there are cracks which could suggest the beginning of a new life, or the end of something.”
Stuart worked closely with fabricator Duncan Henthorne whose studio is in Harrogate. He explained how they worked with a structural engineer to build the piece.
Duncan said, “We had to consider all the types of material which could withstand what the design called for, and the environment and surroundings in which it is placed.”
Two virtual reality and one augmented reality pieces will join the physical sculptures to make up the entire Bord Waalk trail. These will be accessible, along with bespoke poetry, birdsong and soundscapes via the Bord Waalk app.
A spokesperson for Bord Waalk said, “At long last, and not without some relief, we are pleased that all the physical sculptures have now been installed. Now we can go ahead with printing leaflets and completing the mobile app.”
Leaflets are now available from the Seafood Centre at Amble Harbour Village and at various outlets in Northumberland.
The spokesperson added, “We’ve already had some very positive feedback, and hope those who haven’t visited the trail yet, will do so soon and enjoy their experience.”
Anna Williams
