In-Situ is a permanent commission now sited within the sculpture trail in the
Forest of Dean.
The work consists of a series of land works, implanted cast iron
bamboo artifacts, ‘aggressive’ bamboo planting scheme and a series of cast iron ‘instructions’
for audiences.
In-Situ is a permanent work in the Forest of
Dean. Made through responding to the forest during a residency, In-Situ explores the
possibilities of intervening in or ‘augmenting’ and ‘enhancing’ nature, history, the social
fabric of localized mythologies, and received narratives. The landscape of the Dean is littered
with references to the past activities (ritualised behavior) of the individuals and peoples
living in and passing through the area from slag heaps, to roman open cast mines, ammunitions
hide-outs, deep under ground mines, drainage systems, forest paths, boundary markers, timber
plantations, roads, canals, dumped burnt out cars, ponds and lakes made and maintained from
various reasons. Phase one has been to add, reflect, respond, adapt, appropriate, change and
remove through the performative gestures of digging, dumping, scraping and compressing the land.
Further phases in the work have concentrated on 'diversifying the
arena' through a planting scheme of bamboo, the introduction of cast iron
bamboo and other incidental artefacts which act as ‘clues’ and developing a sense of
'continuous histories' or lived archaeology through the
additions of instructions for ritualised performative acts which visitors to the forest are at
liberty to act out.
Commissioned by: Sam Wilkinson, The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust and
the Forestry Commission
Stills from In-Situ
