Sparkle and Shine, July - September 2024
Newark Art Gallery
Overview
Newark was host to a trail of brand-new decorated BookBench sculptures from 11 July 2024 to mark the start of the Newark Book Festival.
The trail featured 11 comfortable bench sculptures shaped like an open book, each displaying artwork by artists from the East Midlands.
Visitors could follow a trail map to discover the locations and explore the designs which showcased a range of enchanting themes from the rich history and heritage of Newark, the beauty of nature, cultural stories and nursery rhymes.
My theme is based on the River Trent as throughout history, the River Trent has played a vital role in shaping the landscape of England and how the river plays an essential role in maintaining biodiversity.
Artwork Description
The impressive diversity of fish species has been celebrated since 1590. There is a poem containing the earliest mention that the Trent contains 30 kinds of fish, my design will include 30 different types of fish other waterside wildlife and the poem.
I’ve also corporated the book The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister, a heart-warming story of sharing, friendship and selflessness. The rainbow fish is hidden in the design, can you find it?
The design includes important buildings from the Historic Riverside Trail and famous landmarks along the river such as Newark Castle, The Corn Exchange, Town Lock and Trent Bridge and also includes activities such as fishing, boating and enjoying the waterside.
The main feature is the canal boat called ‘Slow Movin’ Millie’ this is my Uncle’s boat which travels the British waterways with his dogs. Millie and Rosie, two Wirehaired Vizslas. Sadly Millie passed away last year so this is to commemorate man’s best friend.
The title Sparkle and Shine represents Rainbow Fish’s sparkling scales and shine when the reflection of the sun creates glittering light on water.
