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The Sculptures
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There are four works that John created to identify places that he found interesting in some way; places which generate very different moods and atmospheres. "In these places I wanted to create "markers" to locate a focus of attention which in a modest way would allow others to feel the special qualities of those places." Each is made from black and white granite and based on the same modular system. The granite, the blackest possible from Zimbabwe and the whitest possible from the USA, was chosen to emphasise the idea of contrast in the landscape. "The contrast between the light open sky of the heathland and the dark brooding light of the forest is very marked. The open views from the heathland and the closed almost architectural vistas of the forest also create strong contrasts. These contrasts, which occur visually, are important to the proposal I am making." The sculptures have been cut with great precision by machine and polished to a mirror finish. The accuracy with which they have been made reminds us of official signs, borders or devices for measuring.
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Each marker is different and responds to the place in which it is located. Each one is both discreet within its environment and alien to it.
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The Sculpture (5)
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The marker, located in a stream which marks the boundary between Forest Enterprise land and that of Aberdeen City Council, is a rectangular slab divided lengthways into two halves; one black, one white. Its placing is very deliberate and emphasises the idea of border and edge. It divides the stream and draws attention to its different banks; one carefully built with river stones, the other a sloping bank of earth. The directional movement of water flowing around the work creates a contrast between the fluid and static. The black and white of the granite echo the contrasts of dark and light to be found in the stream anf beyond. At certain times, the shadow of the river bank will divide the stream up the middle, making a direct visuallink with the sculpture.
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The Sculpture (7)
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This sculpture, set into a huge glacial boulder at the top of a small knoll, is the largest of the four, attracts attention like some kind of warning sign or road marking. It responds to the pattern made by dark tree trunks against the light sky. The horizontal bands, like a ladder, lead your eye upwards to the silhouettes where contrasts between black and white are most prominent. In bright sunshine, you may notice that the shadows cast by the trees are like horizontal stripes on the ground nearby. Made with great precision and placed so high, the sculpture draws attention to other contrasts in the forest; smooth/rough, straight/curved, high/low, natural/man-made, as well as emphasising the rich greens of the vegetation around it. The granite slab also serves as a reminder of other ways stone is used in the landscape, e.g. standing stones, grave stones, mile stones.
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The Sculpture (10)
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This is the smallest of John’s pieces, created in response to the intimacy of the place. It is set into a large boulder and serves to indicate the passage from one kind of terrain to another. The shady pocket offers a feeling of seclusion before the landscape opens up to bare hillside. Like a measuring device used to demonstrate the scale of surrounding objects, the marker draws attention to the huge size of the boulder which almost blocks the path. Smooth and precise, it forms a contrast with the curvaceous shape and rough texture of the stone. Like a sign post, it seems to indicate a route somewhere.
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The Sculpture (12)
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This sculpture is placed deep amongst a group of twisted firs and curious boulders. The mood of this place is quite unique. Approached end-on, the sculpture appears like a black and white Battenburg cake. Alternate squares of contrasting granite echo the chequered devices found on warning signs and police hat bands. The strangeness of the location is heightened by the incongruity of the sculpture. Placed in an absolute horizontal position, in contrast to its surroundings and at right angles to the direction of the bent trees, it creates a sense of tension with the natural world. Again, contrasts of texture, shape and colour between the sculpture and the surrounding environment draw attention to the drama of the landscape.
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