On 1st October I visited Jupiter Artland as part of the Visual Research Methods module at my university. Jupiter Artland is a contemporary sculpture park and art gallery and so there are many interesting and inspiring pieces of artwork on display here but there were a few in particular that stood out to me.
For example one of these pieces was ‘You Imagine What You Desire’ by Nathan Coley. This piece is made up of many bright lights spelling out this phrase that contrast with the calm of its surrounding environment.
However it was another piece of work also designed by Nathan Coley that really caught my attention. ‘In Memory’, a small family graveyard surrounded by high walls of concrete. On the headstones however I noticed that the names of the deceased had been blanked out. I like this piece in particular as it prompts us to think about the ways we mark the deaths of those around us and the ones we love.
Another piece which I found very interesting at the time was ‘Landscape with Gun and Tree’ by Cornelia Parker which she designed after closely studying the landscape of Jupiter Artland. Her idea for this piece came from the painting ‘Mr and Mrs Andrews’ by Thomas Gainsborough. Parker enlarged one of the shotguns and laid it against a tree almost like it had been accidentally left behind. After studying it her intention was to show the power the land had. This piece was inspiring to me as at the time of visiting I was tasked with creating five posters around the theme of war and peace. This served as great inspiration.
One of the most memorable pieces at Jupiter Artland in my opinion is ‘Weeping Girls’ by Laura Ford. Ford was inspired by a story her friend told her about his daughter having a tantrum whilst looking at herself I the mirror to see the effect “The site I have picked at Jupiter has a quiet melancholic atmosphere and I felt it was the perfect place to introduce some unnecessary drama in the style of the story above. What I have made for Jupiter are 5 little girls dressed up as sculptures in positions of high drama which animate the landscape they inhabit.” I like this piece as it creates a sense of unease in the viewer as well as giving the area a gloomy as creepy vibe. https://www.jupiterartland.org/artwork/weeping-girls
I would recommend a visit to Jupiter Artland for those wishing to see thought provoking pieces of artwork in a beautiful outdoor setting.
Visual Research Methods 