A new sculpture, a set of welded metal trees, has taken root in Sandown Bay this autumn, part of a growing public art trail around the rewilding edges of Browns Golf Course.
The Common Space commissioned Island artist Dave Badman to create an entrance feature at the edge of the course, signposting where visitors can head through a natural arch in the willows and explore the wetland beyond.
Dave worked with 200 metres of steel bars or ‘rebar’ to form two matching trees after being inspired by the Sandown Story Quest book, Shrewbert & Iris, A Tale of Two Tails, and its colourful illustrations by fellow artist, Lucia Para.
This is the second sculpture for the area funded by The Common Space, a not-for-profit organisation based in Sandown. Dave explained:
“My first commission, Encasement, Oak, was to make something new and interesting from a lost oak, something people would find by surprise as they walk the trail here. The oak trunk is encased in rebar while stainless steel leaves provide habitat for hover flies to lay eggs. As the trunk rots away, it’s held upright but more deadwood habitat forms for woodland wildlife”.
The nature, and now sculpture trail known as the Willow Walk is one of many local projects initiated by The Common Space, with support from a broad range of volunteers and organisations. The circular path through willows to the Browns Powerhouse and on through the reedbeds at the edge of Sandown Levels, was created in 2013 with the help of the Probation Service and is maintained voluntarily by The Common Space. It’s part of the public estate, now a local landmark for residents and is always part of the arena for free events such as Discovery Bay and Hullabaloo.
Ian Boyd at The Common Space said:
“Dave’s fantastic new sculptures are on a former section of the course. Over the years, we have maintained a series of small works such as these, along with planting coastal wildflowers and the Iris Gardens, events and even the Story Trails. The aim, our Iris Manifesto in fact, has always been to highlight the distinctiveness of this corner of the Bay, to make spaces more diverse and interesting for residents, visitors and for wildlife.
Article continues below this advertisement “We have a background in commissioning art for public realm across the Island and have also planted a lot of trees Island-wide over the years, so Dave’s rewelded trees feels like a perfect commission! When time and funds allow, we’ll add more sculptures along the way. It’s great also to be contributing to the Bay Area Action Pla
Find the Encased, Oak hidden away in the Willow Walk starting at the corner of Dinosaur Isle car park while the new trees can be seen at the edge of Browns and reached by walking on the wild side of the course.
We look forward to welcoming everyone to a launch later in Autumn. Keep an eye out on The Common Space’s social media for dates and details.
