Narro’s Katie Hood, was delighted to attend the Public Statue and Sculptures Association (PSSA) awards ceremony last week in support of the nomination of Graciela Ainsworth Sculpture Conservation for the Marsh Award for Excellence in the Conservation of a Public Sculpture or Fountain, which took place at a ceremony in the Art Workers Guild building in London.
Alongside a thought-provoking presentation from Graciela on her team’s work, the event included an inspiring presentation from the author Ray Mackenzie as well as presentations from contemporary sculptors nominated for the society’s award for excellence in modern public sculpture. Many of these presentations highlighted the fascinating engineering and fabrication that goes hand in hand with the artistic expression and design of sculptures.
Congratulations go to Nick Hornby for winning the peoples choice award for his sculpture “Power over others is Weakness disguised as Strength”, installed in Westminster. The work explores the intersection of the abstract and the figurative as an expression of rebellion against received beliefs and a restriction to an unnecessary binary approach. Nick’s presentation explored the collaboration with engineers to use parametric modelling to accurately combine an abstract line from literature with a conventional figurative form of a man on horseback. The result is an unexpected optical delight with a deeper message and well worth a look.
Congratulations to the judges’ prize winner Tim Shaw. Tim’s piece, Man on Fire, which is displayed at Imperial War Museums North, is an extremely powerful work, speaking to a tortuous examination of the determination of humanity in the face of atrocities. Originally developed as a more ephemeral piece, formed principally using black plastic wrap from the agricultural industry, Tim’s presentation gave and insight into how he worked with structural engineers and lent on the expertise of the specialists at AB Fine Art Foundry to transform the sculpture into Bronze.
Finally, huge congratulations to Graciela Ainsworth Sculpture Conservation, who were awarded the conservation prize for their work on the Lady Waterford Fountain in Ford village, Northumberland. Narro was proud to support GASC with structural engineering review and connection design for the rebuilding of the Lady Waterford Fountain this year, following the discovery of significant structural cracking and instability during an inspection in 2020. GASCs determined yet careful dismantling and unpicking of the work and patient and painstaking rebuilding, subtly incorporating structural repairs, allowed all but 1 of the fountain’s 9 main elements to be reinstated. An impressive feat of perseverance, allowing the team to conserve the history of the sculpture’s original materials and its previous distress while making the 8m tall monument safe for future generations.
A very well-deserved win for Graciela and her team who continue to do cutting edge, caring, detailed, and beautiful conservation work on public sculpture and monuments across Scotland and the North of England.
