The first sculpture on the Hove Plinth has been announced as Jonathan Wright’s Constellation – and if fundraising goes to plan, it could be in place by the end of the year.
The artwork will be produced with a 3D printer, which will help bring the production time down to about four months.
However, work cannot start in earnest until the sponsorship has been secured, but it’s hoped this will be done in time to have the sculpture in place this year or next.
Artist Jonathan Wright said: “The idea for the Hove Plinth is to create a work that is part made by the local inhabitants and part made by the location itself. The role of the artist in this project is to provide a basic structure to focus the work as a whole and to guide it to fruition. The work is conceived by the public and engineered by the artist.
“The notion of a constellation, a model of the planetary system, an oversized ‘Orrery’ is a perfect fit for the location. We are encouraged to look upward, consider star gazing, a sense of the universe and the place we hold in the world.
“As well as the local community the installation will involve Brighton Museum and the University of Brighton through a dialogue of workshops and discussions. There is therefore a widening of the audience who are normally involved in the process of delivering artwork in the public realm.
“The work extends beyond its physical presence and becomes a point of reference that means many things to many people. The objects become magical, infused with meaning. A local constellation.”
Constellation is one of the three artworks chosen from submissions to a national competition run by the Hove Civic Society in 2015. It will be displayed on the plinth for approximately 18 months, followed by Flight of the Langoustine by Brighton based sculptor Pierre Diamantopoulo.
The society said it had chosen Constellation as it celebrated Hove and will be a collective local effort. The short production time was also a factor.
Wright’s creative design is based on an Orrery, a mechanical model of the solar system where the elements of the Orrery that represent the planets are replaced with historic, present day and future features of Hove. The work also incorporates elements of a ship’s compass and a film camera lens.
The main structure will rest on a gimbal that allows the work to move slightly, responding to environmental conditions.
The icons representing Hove will be approximately 50cm high and produced using various techniques including 3D printing and gilding. Overall, the piece will measure approximately three metres in height and five in diameter.
The maquette (small model) of the sculpture that Hove Civic Society has commissioned is a prototype for the fullsize sculpture and has eight icons chosen after preliminary discussions with local people.
These and other ideas will be reviewed through workshops and dialogue to arrive at a final set of icons for the full-size sculpture.
Funding has come from grants, public contributions (incl crowdfunding) and in kind support, roughly in equal proportions.
Thoughts and suggestions should be sent to karin@hovecivicsociety.org.
