| The
public sculpture being erected for the Queen's Golden Jubilee will
be 1.5 metres wide at the base and will be 14 metres high with a
fine point at the top. The sculpture will feature four different
types of stone in a pattern designed to reflect the movement and
hues of the sea.
The
sculpture will be part funded by the States Golden Jubilee committee
who have granted £75,000 to the project. The scheme is going
to cost a total of £200,000 with the remaining money raised
by the private sector.
The
work is expected to be completed by May 2004.
The
process
Richard
Perry, the man behind the needle came up with the distinctive conical
shape after spending many hours on the Waterfront observing the
colours of the sea and movement of the water.
 |
| Artist
impression of the Needle situated between flats on the St Helier
Waterfront |
Although
the design is simple, the needle is still complex and a technical
piece of structural engineering. The foundations for the sculpture
need to be strong enough to support the weight of 20 tonnes of slate,
but they must also be absolutely level to ensure that the needle
stands perfectly straight.
Richard
Perry has said that "assembling the needle is going to take
great patience, care and technical skill".
He
went to comment that only a sculpture on the scale proposed would
work in the area.
Talking
about the design and materials Richard said that the needle had
been carefully designed so that it can be enjoyed from many different
directions and using slate means it will be practical and durable.
Richard
wanted the needle to be built straight out of the ground and not
on a plinth so that it "becomes part of the environment rather
than be a more domestic object".
Richard
Perry
Richard
is well known for his carved sculptures in stone. Graduating from
Leeds Polytechnic in 1981 with a Fine Art degree, he began his career
as a painter and sculptor, but quickly realised where his talents
lay.
Richard says: “Although it is a very hard
material to work with, stone is an excellent canvas onto which you
can project your ideas. Because it is so resilient, it is well used
in public art which is increasingly being commissioned by local
authorities and large companies to create interesting and attractive
environments”.
Sheffield
Peace Gardens
One
of Richard's most high profile award winning projects was his stone
work in the Peace Gardens in Sheffield. The scheme was one of six
Millennium Projects in the UK and was aimed at providing a popular
green space for residents in the heart of the city centre.
 |
| Sheffield
Peace Gardens fountain, designed by Needle Designer Richard
Perry. |
The
project involved a collaboration of three artists who were experts
in stone, ceramics and metal as well as landscape artists and planners.
Richard’s role in the stonework involved styling the stone
throughout the scheme and designing the carved elements which reflected
the local rivers.
“It was
one of the most interesting public projects I have been involved
with, simply because a lot of the stone work was done on site. I
was in charge of a large carving team and this meant that the people
of Sheffield had a very good understanding of what was taking shape
and it created a great deal of civic pride”.
In addition
to his public work with local authorities and regional development
agencies, Richard spends a great deal of his time working at his
studio in Nottingham where he researches and designs pieces that
inspire his commissioned works. Most recently he has carved and
cast nine sculptures for the new cruise liner Queen Victoria, which
will enter service in 2005 as the second largest Cunard ship ever
built.
As
well as exhibiting his work in the UK, Richard has displayed work
in Poland, Slovenia and Japan and is planning a joint show next
year with a fellow artist in Miami.
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