Renowned sculptor and artist, Owen Bullett brand new commission titled Garland Necklace has been on display as part of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chatsworth Flower Show.
Owen, who studied Sculpture at Camberwell College of Arts (2000 – 2003) was selected to create an impressive new work crafted from large wooden forms for this year’s show following a call for artists. The piece is one of eight eye-catching installations selected by the RHS.
The RHS Chatsworth Show ran over over 5 days in June and even though only in its second year the show is already one of the major dates in the horticultural calendar. In its first year in 2017 it attracted over 95k visitors (in appalling weather conditions) but when the final numbers are tallied up for 2018, it is expected that footfall to the site will have far exceeded that. The show is sited within the grounds of Chatsworth House, Derbyshire home to the Duke and Duchess of Derbyshire and one of Britain’s great country houses.
The 5-metre diameter ring of brightly coloured, hand carved and painted wooden boulders is Owen largest sculpture to date, weighing in at 2.5 tonnes. The installation will invite guests to sit beneath its large arch and appreciate its relationship to the surrounding wooded parkland, whilst acting as a recognisable beacon to meet others, and enjoy the day. The circular piece is inspired by the colourful flower lei’s and garlands which are offered as welcome gifts on faraway islands, and recalls the simple tradition of making daisy chains on a summer’s afternoon.
Owen Bullett said of the commission; “It is an honour to be selected to create an exciting new work for this year’s RHS Chatsworth Flower Show. I particularly enjoy making work in response to specific places. Everything has an intrinsic balance, no matter what the varying forces might be. This is a constant source of intrigue for me, and is therefore not something one can ever quite fully grasp or stop playing with.”
Owen Bullett is based in London and primarily works with wood, metal and stone. He graduated from Camberwell in 2003, before going on to postgraduate study at the Royal College of Arts and since then he has undertaken residencies in the UK, France, Malta and Belize. His work is included in both public and private collections in the UK and abroad and has been featured in several publications including Architectural Digest and New York Spaces.
