The All Important First Step

Press-release text

A champagne celebration was held on Monday 8 April in Hotham Park to celebrate the installation of Cold Frames in Hotham Park.

The piece being covered with Rococo style natural motifs is quite a coup for Bognor Regis and a perfect first step for the forth-coming Blake Trail; a local Art and Nature Trail inspired by William Blake. Cold Frames was hand-crafted by one of the nation’s most highly regarded ceramists and was donated to Greener Bognor Network by the Cass sculpture foundation. It remains Richard Slee’s largest piece to date. Richard Slee is a highly successful artist with important exhibitions in Japan, Stockholm and New York as well as our own V&A. According to Hales Gallery “Many of the works use utilitarian objects as a starting point but Slee renders the possibility of function as a distant memory, rather like the evolutionary remains of a tail. Usefulness is replaced by frills and curls. The Rococo staged gesture replaces any remaining vestiges of ‘fitness for purpose’, rendering the sculptures as parodies of themselves.”

It is hoped that schools in particular will take the opportunity to view this unique sculpture and inspire their pupils to follow Slee in create art from everyday objects or perhaps experimenting themselves with Rococo style. It is hoped that some of these results will be shared with The Big Blake Project which now has its own web-site courtesy of the Observer award-winning Access-By-Design. It is intended that this web-site will act as a significant port-hole for this area’s artists, writers and schools. William Blake was also a pioneer in printing and Victoria Hullett has worked with Downview school to produce some attractive lino-cuts which can be viewed on “the big Blake project” web-site. Another port-hole will be a full-colour Blake Trail Brochure pioneered by Greener Bognor Network but made possible by the skill of designers Loose Marbles, local Artist Victoria Hullet and the support and enthusiasm of quality local business. The purpose of the trial brochure is to show-case some of Blake’s letters from Felpham, but also to gain insight into Blake’s poetry through the words of our students, to promote art and develop a deeper and more diverse appreciation of both beauty and nature. Inspire Leisure has been one of the first to support the big Blake project and “the big Blake project” is looking for businesses with a similar vision, to make the publication of this inspirational brochure possible. The Big Blake Project publication has space for 12 schools and 12 businesses and can be contacted through its dedicated web-site or the face-book page of Greener Bognor Network.