Paul Vanstone

At varying times whilst studying at UAL Camberwell, I worked under Paul Vanstone. This role of early assistant is of relevance and discussion, due to recently learning of Vanstone’s long and close affiliation with the Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden. His first submission was soon after Vamstone received his MFA, Sculpture at the Royal College of Art, 1993.

On my site visit to the garden, having had a proposal of my work accepted for June 2022, I saw that Vanstone had three works on show of which ‘Reclining Figure’ I had assisted. My involvement in the creative process of this work, was highly informative and impressed on me the quality required of a professional sculptor when considering their career longevity. I experienced first-hand the time, dedication and personal passion poured into his distinct style of stone work and the quality of finish of his commissions.

I considered what it was about Vanstone’s work that repeatedly lent itself to this rich woodland setting. Vanstone allows the nature of the material to dictate how each piece evolves. Soft curvaceous forms allow his otherwise imposing marble structures to flow gracefully into the surrounding space, creating a beautiful connectivity and aura with this particular garden setting.

Hence, I came to the conclusion that to create a work with my regard to the phenomenon of a forest’s mycorrhizal network, I could not compete with the organic beauty and natural complexity of this fungal network. It was only by revisiting Vanstone’s works that I realised I needed to breakdown my aims to a pure and simplistic form, in the hope that it would sit harmoniously within the Peschar Garden landscape. Furthermore, through simplifying my design I would then have the potential to add vibrancy with colour, without overwhelming and detaching the work from its landscape.

The design can be viewed in the Hannah Peschar Garden page.