sculpture in the parklands, international peat congress 2008

8/14/2019 Sculpture in the Parklands, International Peat Congress 2008

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INTERNATIONAL PEAT CONGRESS 2008

TULLAMORE, COUNTY OFFALY

IRELAND

SCULPTURE IN THE PARKLANDS

LOUGH BOORA PARKLANDS

CO. OFFALY, IRELAND

Kevin ODwyer

Artist initiator and Director

E-mail: [email protected]

SUMMARY

In 2003 Sculpture in the Parklands was established after a successful international

sculpture symposium was held at theLough Boora Parklands in Co. Offaly. This

symposium formed a platform for Irish and international artists to respond to the rich

natural and industrial history of the Boora peatlands. Due to the success of the initialcollaboration, artists have been invited annually to create new works of art on the

cutaway bog. Artists work on-site, collaborating with Bord na Mna employees (the

Irish peat company) over a three week period to create large-scale works of art. The

magnificent wetland and wildlife wilderness of Lough Boora now hosts a total of

seventeen artworks, some of which represent the most innovative land and

environmental sculptures in Ireland. This successful partnership was formally

recognised in 2003 when the Sculpture in the Parklands initiative received the

prestigiousBusiness2Arts award.


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This paper presents an overview of the initial development of the sculpture park and

its continuing success as an interpretative centre that celebrates the rich cultural,

environmental and industrial heritage of Lough Boora through contemporary art

practice. The development of the sculpture park has also captured the imagination of

the local community, the Bord na Mna employees and an international audience

through itsArtist-in-Residency programme. The sculpture park presents a uniqueinterpretation of wise after-use for an industrial landscape and provides the

community with an educational resource as well as the opportunity to develop its

cultural tourism potential in the future.

INTRODUCTION

In 2003 Sculpture in the Parklands was established after a successful international

sculpture symposium was held at theLough Boora Parklands in Co. Offaly. This

symposium formed a platform for Irish and international artists to respond to the rich

natural and industrial history of the Boora peatlands.

The sculpture park phenomenon began on both sides of the Atlantic in the late 1950sand can, to a great degree, be attributed to the monumental scale of modern sculpture

and the creative impulse of contemporary artists to engage with the landscape. There

has been no consistent pattern or formula for the establishment of sculpture parks.

Museum, corporate, charitable trusts, personal collections as well as artist-led

ventures have established working models of this relatively new cultural

phenomenon. The 1960s saw the development of Land Art and Environmental Art, in

which artists created site-specific sculptural projects, which utilized the materials of

the environment to create new sculptural forms that engaged the public. The post-

industrial landscape of Lough Boora provided an ideal canvas for artists to

collaborate, intervene and engage with community members who harvested the

peatlands over the past 50 years.

This paper presents an overview of the initial development of the sculpture park and

its continuing success as an interpretative centre that celebrates the rich cultural,

environmental and industrial heritage of Lough Boora through contemporary art

practice. It identifies the crucial elements of an integrated community programme

considered vital to the formation of a sustainable collaborative relationship within the

wider community

A UNIQUE LANDSCAPE

The landscape of Boora has an extraordinary past. Some of the oldest traces of human

activity in Ireland date from Lough Boora. In the 1970s, evidence was found ofMesolithic man, dating from 9,000 years ago. The site was excavated by Dr. Michael

Ryan and the artefacts were carbon dated to 6800-7000 BC. For these hunter-

gatherers, this landscape was rich in sources of food and fuel. As time moved on, the

Mesolithic people were replaced by the Neolithic farmers and Bronze Age settlers.

Despite changes in climate and the development of bogs throughout the midlands,

humans continued to inhabit the area and left a rich cultural heritage through their

monastic buildings, High Crosses, artefacts and manuscripts.


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The Boora bog complex is one of the oldest areas of commercial peat production and

one of the earliest sites in which all commercial peat was removed. This cutaway bog

provided the opportunity to look at new uses for the degraded landscape. In 1994 a

group of Bord na Mna workers produced an integrated land use plan for the Boora

cutaways, which embraced environmental and socio-economic concerns. From this

initial concept Lough Boora Parklands was conceived.


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LOUGH BOORA INTERNATIONAL SCULPTURE SYMPOSIUM

In September 2002, Irish and international artists were invited to create large-scale

works of art during an international sculpture symposium at Lough Boora Parklands.

The aims of the symposium were:

To bring together Irish and international artist to create a series of land and

environmental art using the natural and industrial materials associated with the

working of the peatlands.

To highlight Lough Boora Parklands as a creative resource of national

significance.

To build an awareness of the arts within the community, educational

institutions and business community through public interaction and

participation during this dynamic international event.

The sculpture symposium concept was initiated in 2001 during discussions between

artist Kevin ODwyer and Bord na Mna land manager Tom Egan while attending the

Offaly Heritage Forum. The idea was proposed to Lough Boora Parklands Group and

Bord na Mna as an opportunity to highlight the Parklands as a creative resource. The

organisations were receptive to the project and Kevin ODwyer proceeded to invite

artists to participate in the symposium. He believed there were a number of criteria

that were important for the success of the symposium including artistic ability,


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experience with making large-scale works of art in the landscape and the capacity of

the artists to work together over a three-week period.

The artists selected were: Michael Bulfin (Ireland), Jorn Ronnau (Denmark), Eileen

MacDonagh (Ireland), Naomi Seki (Japan), Maurice MacDonagh (Ireland), James

Fraher (USA) and Kevin ODwyer (Ireland). The Arts Council of Ireland provided

funding for the artists during the symposium and Bord na Mna provided materials

and manpower throughout the three week period. Eight large-scale works of art were

created in the landscape.


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SCULPTURE IN THE PARKLANDS

The success of the international sculpture symposium led to the formation of

Sculpture in the Parklands, a 50-acre sculpture park, which continues to invite artists

to create significant site- specific works of art during theirArtist-in-Residency

programme each year. Sculpture in the Parklands mission is to inspire artists to create

artworks in response to the unique landscape and industrial heritage of the cutawaybogs and to build awareness of the arts within the community through public

participation and interaction. In addition to permanent sculpture and time-based work,

the project has a commitment to commissioning video artists, composers,

choreographers, and performance artists to interpret and document this unique

landscape, folklore and industrial history.


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Since the initial symposium, artists from Holland, Denmark, United States and Ireland

have been invited to participate in the artist-in-residency programme. In 2007,

Sculpture in the Parklands commissioned its first video art by Grace Weir and music

composition by Adele ODwyer. Their commissions will be premiered at the

International Peat Congress Arts Night. World- renowned environmental artist Patrick

Dougherty will work on site during the International Peat Congress. Patrick and his

band of helpers will twist, weave and entangle hundreds of willow saplings to create amonumental sculpture for Sculpture in the Parklands.


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COMMUNITY INTEGRATION

Community integration forms an important aspect of the success ofSculpture in the

Parklands. The development of the sculpture park has enriched the lives of the

community by providing opportunities to access large-scale contemporary works of

art, which respond to their living and working environment. This facility would not be

readily available to other communities within the midlands or even in the majorpopulation centres of Ireland.

TheArtist-in-Residence programme provides an opportunity for the community and

Bord na Mna workforce to meet the resident artist on a daily basis. The artist works

and lives within the community during his/her residency. This engagement with the

community has provided an opportunity for the artist to express his/her source of

inspiration for the artwork and therefore create a greater understanding and

appreciation of the concept. The community has embraced this opportunity to engage

with the artists and we have not suffered from the effects of vandalism, which is so

often the case in non site specific public art commissions.

The sculpture park is a valuable educational resource for both primary and secondary

schools within the community. The artwork, inspired by the rich environmental and

industrial heritage of the area provides a strong educational tool. Programmes such as

the Young Persons Sculpture Symposium and the Sculpture in the Parklands

education programme provide primary school children with a hands-on experience.

The children engage in creative thinking, problem solving and are exposed to their

rich natural and cultural heritage. The sculpture park also provides a rich resource for

university art, archaeology, geography and architectural students.


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The establishment of the sculpture park has had economic consequences within the

community providing employment, either directly or through service industries as

well as cultural tourism. This further integrates the sculpture park into the community

and re-enforces pride of place.

OPEN ACCESS

Open access is a key element that makes Sculpture in the Parklands a unique

experience. Open access encourages as wide an audience as possible by offering a

whole range of sensory experiences and responses to sculpture and the landscape.

This creates a greater awareness, understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of both.

Sculpture in the Parklands encourages visitors to roam the parklands through its

walkways and meadows availing of this unique landscape and its contemporary

sculpture installations in a relaxed and non-threatening atmosphere. The ability to

touch, view and interact with the sculpture in a non-threatening environment provides

a unique visitor experience. Visitors to the parklands come for a variety of reasons

and not all necessarily to experience the artwork. The walkways are used for daily

exercise, bird watching, photography and the opportunity to enjoy an unencumbered

landscape, free from buildings and automobiles.

UNIQUE VISITOR EXPERIENCE

Sculpture in the Parklandsprovides a unique visitor experience due to its multi-

sensory nature. The public are provided with the opportunity to interact with both art

and nature in a relaxed environment, free from the institutional structure of a museum

or gallery setting. The viewing of sculpture in the landscape throughout the seasons

heightens the visitors experience and appreciation of both the sculpture and the


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landscape. The visitors experience is unique on a daily basis as the light changes

constantly across the landscape. This differentiates the concept of sculpture in the

landscape from the gallery setting, which provides a constant light source,

manipulated by the curator as opposed toMother Nature. The lack of control over the

elements offers an exciting environment to experience sculpture.

Visitors are encouraged to experience the tactile qualities of sculpture as they have the

freedom to touch and engage with the artwork. This relaxed environment is in contrast

to the museums delineation of objects as precious, often enclosed in display cases

and invigilated.


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FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

Sculpture in the Parklands continues to develop its infrastructure with the launch of a

visitors pavilion, the extension of its walkways, additional bridges, and information

panels along the walkways. TheArtist-in-Residency programme continues to engage

artists in the development of new works of art inspired by the areas rich cultural

heritage. Collaborative projects with University College Dublin, the Crafts Council ofIreland and Bord na Mna will further extend its remit. The development of an

education programme will provide a badly needed educational resource within Offaly

County for children to study contemporary art practice, environmental studies,

geography, mathematics and the industrial heritage of Ireland. The programme would

provide jobs and income for the local community.

As a European Art Destination, Sculpture in the Parklands has the opportunity to

provide cultural tourism opportunities that would generate income within the local

community. A variety of services including catering, bike rental, education

programmes, lodging and parklands tours have potential to further enhance the

publics experience when visiting the Parklands.

sculpture in the parklands, international peat congress 2008

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