Posted Monday 5 July 2021
A dramatic wedge-shaped piece of art by a Kingston University sculptor will form part of a new sculpture trail in Kingston Town Centre this summer.
The sculpture, placed in Canbury Gardens, is one of seven forming a trail that will connect Kingston's most famous locations – from the town centre to the riverside.
The creation by Richard Trupp, Kingston School of Art's Head of Workshops and a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors, was one of six winning entries to a nationwide competition selected by a prestigious panel chaired by former Kingston University lecturer and internationally renowned artist David Mach RA. Mach created the iconic red phone box sculpture ‘Out of Order' on Old London Road which will be the seventh sculpture on the trail.
Kingston University helped organise the sculpture trail through a partnership between the Canbury Community Trust, Kingston Council and the Kingston First business improvement district. It will be in place for visitors to enjoy from mid-August.
Trupp's work, entitled ‘The Juggernaut of Nought', is a large, wedge-shaped sculpture celebrating the industrial heritage of the Thames riverbank and was designed to create a moment of pause in its surroundings, according to its creator.
"The wedge is one of man's most primitive machines - miners used it, shipbuilders used it," he said. "It works by intervention and separation. I wanted to subvert that into a giant contradiction of itself, imbuing the wedge's heavy industrial heart with a gentler, more benign purpose.
"In this way, it becomes an instrument that link things together -the past with the present, insignificance with importance, the forgotten with the familiar and people with art."
Richard has been working at the University for more than 20 years, having been named a Stanley Picker Fellow in 2000. He has worked with steel all his life and describes his sculptural style as transforming the miniature and mundane into the monumental and significant.
Kirsten Henly, Chief Executive of Kingston First, spoke of how the trail would set out to capture the imagination of residents and lead to a permanent installation within Kingston. "Seven exciting new artworks will be installed in the town centre this summer, contributing to Kingston's strong and varied offer and encouraging visitors to come and enjoy the trail," she said. "The incredible legacy of this project will be a permanent sculpture, as voted on by residents of Kingston, sited in the town to be appreciated by generations to come."
More than forty submissions were made to the competition, with six selected to join David Mach's Out of Order to form the trail. The sculptor whose work receives the most votes from residents and visitors will receive a £10,000 prize alongside seeing their work remain on display as a lasting piece of art in the town.
The Dean of Kingston School of Art, Mandy Ure, outlining the importance of the trail for the local community. "I'm delighted that Kingston School of Art and Kingston University have been able to support this exciting project for the borough," she said. "I know that these commissions will be great additions to the town centre. The chosen sculptures will engage visitors through their story-telling, creativity and playfulness to encourage participation in their environment and offer a moment for reflection."
Paul Stafford, an honorary fellow of Kingston University, spoke of his pride in the trail. "I hope that our Kingston Sculpture Trail will add to the experience of both residents and visitors and enhance their enjoyment of the riverside and town centre. We are fortunate in that we have attracted interest from extremely high quality, world class artists, who want to be a part of our continuing story. I hope everyone enjoys these new artworks as much as we have enjoyed selecting them."
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