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Published on the first Friday of every month in The Journal.
Lawn arranger strikes silver
Jul 21 2006
By Enterprise North East
A Northumberland-based sculptor has been instrumental in carrying off one of garden design's top prizes.
The silver gilt award at this month's prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Flower Show at Hampton Court in London was presented to Paul Martin, Ireland's number one garden designer, but central to the stunning display seen by 180,000 visitors were two ceramic stoneware pieces by Dennis Kilgallon, who has a workshop and studio at Kirkharle Courtyard near Belsay.
"The pieces fitted perfectly in Paul's design," says Dennis, whose company, Red Dust Ceramics, is a regular contributor to the annual Chelsea Flower Show.
"We have worked together before and he knows what my work is like and how it will sit in his designs. For this one, he chose two pieces - Wave and Landscape. We're going to be working with the Irish government on a project at Phoenix Park in Dublin and at the Chelsea Show Garden in 2008."
Dennis calls his work "sculpture of the ancient and modern", as he draws on influences of antiquity and mythology from his childhood memories of living in Cyprus.
"Introducing an artistic ingredient into an outdoor space is a decision not to be taken lightly," he says. "Will it be a focal point or stand half-hidden in a border? Will it make a bold statement or blend in with the surroundings?"
He says sculptures like the Hampton Court pieces can take weeks to produce from the initial idea stage through to making, drying and firing.
"It can be a long process," he says. "I'm doing a lot in bronze at the moment - human-size torsos. I do the artwork and the modelling then a foundry in Scotland does the casting.
"Kirkharle Courtyard is going really well now and all the workshops are taken. We're getting lots of visitors with the summer starting. When you think about it, there used to be just one person working here and now there are 30. It's a terrific use of landscape and rural facilities."
Kirkharle was the birthplace of Capability Brown, the landscape designer who changed the face of the countryside in the 18th Century - which was one of the attractions for Dennis to set up his studio there.
