The Rivers' Guardian

Posted on June 04, 2024 by Steph

The Rivers' Guardian - Gateway Artwork commission, Monmouthshire County Council and Monmouth Town Council and is funded by the Welsh Government Brilliant Basics scheme. In collaboration with Nick Jones, metal worker.

Official opening Friday 13th September 2024

This Monmouth Gateway commission brought about the opportunity to lease with community members about a sculptural concept - the rivers guardian.

I invited 4 different communities to engage and discuss this concept and develop it's design through a series of design and making activities.  Its reference to cleanliness and environment was essential as it was comminssioned by the Cleansing Department of Monmouth Town Council, so this had to reflect in the artwork. Utilising materials such as Monmouthshire Council reclaimed steel for the fabrication of the sculpture, manufactured by Nick Jones with broken pottery and found objects for the artwork alongside stained glass.

Once the introduction to the project was complete it was time to bring words and ideas into a visual context. The workshops I held were a sublimation print process, heat transfered prints on satin. This allowed reference materials to be chosen and printed into designs. This was supported by silhotte images on acetate for extra information to be added. This process really gave me an idea of colour and peoples concerns and interests connected to the rivers and local environment.

With these images complete, I photocopied them and took them to Monthough Comprehesive year 9 pupils to create colleges. The sculpure form was suggestive of a shape of a water born creature and now I was asking the pupils to decorate the form using the prints for colour and patternation.Other information was to be added, the students, through discussion and conversation took on board the concerns about pollution into their designs. This is where we developed the ideas of a pure water droplet hanging from the sculptures head and the wings containing the jumping fish, suggesting a plentiful supply of fish and clean water. The sculptural form being the rivers of monmouth themselves, The Monnow and The Wye.

A visit to local achiologist Steve Clark's office enable us to talk about the history of the area and see if any of his finds could be added to the mosaic.

The Rivers' Guardian 

Monmouth Cleansing Department allowed access to their scap enabling for repurposing the building materials. Nick Jones Metal worker, beauifully reconstructed my templates into the steel form. Also creating the fish for the wings. The base plate an old lorry brake disc. 

Nick Jones in his studio in Newport, using gathered steel from Monmouth County Council  to interpret Stephanie's vision into a steel structure. 

Materials were gathered from tip shops in Monmouthshire and a few specific stained glass colours to support the repursed materials.

I wanted to create the form of the sculpture into the rivers and make suggestions of trees, nature and Welsh myths into their surface. Mapping and countryside location depicted, using words, pottery and etching. Making comment to the struggling water systems and industrial waste that leaches into the waters, concerns of the pupils and myself, so found curcuit boards cut became the river, shimmering blue and alluring on a sunny day but man-made suggestive of industries and potential bi-products.

 

The last workshop allowed the local Youth Group at The Attick to make the mosaic  water droplet. Opening many conversational opportunities to discuss cleanliness and the importance of fresh water. They loved it.

Installation supported by the wonderful team at the Cleansing Department of Monmouth 

Offical Opening Friday 13th September

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