Installation Part 3

Snakes and Ladders

A Short Film

A Day on Zebra Rock from JASON MULLIGAN on Vimeo.

A Day on Zebra Rock follows the sculptor Jason Mulligan working at his studio on one of four carvings (Zebra Rock) commissioned for Cobtree Park formerly the site of the old Maidstone Zoo.The public art commission was devised by Maidstone Borough Council who have been working in partnership with the Cobtree Estate Committee.

Cobtree Installation - Part 2

It was another great day for installing the second sculpture at Cobtree. The concept for the ‘Zebra Rock’ was created with very ‘site – specific’ intentions. The chosen location was due to its proximity to the ‘Elephant House’, one of the original buildings from the time of Maidstone Zoo and also because of its positioning high upon the hill, looking out across the Medway. The sculpture started to attract some attention from members of the public as it started to slowly and carefully rise higher and higher. This was mainly due to the distinct characteristics of the stone and the carving on the front face. I had one conversation with a lady who commented on the carving and who told me what it reminded her off. Strangely, I have been having the same thoughts about the ambiguity of the front of the stone and it is a definition that I was starting to prefer. The description made was to do with the pattern on the stone suggesting sand on a beach, an impression made by water suggesting the passing of time rather than it suggesting the flow of water.  This idea works just as well with the artwork and I am so pleased to know that the ‘metaphor’ can be deciphered! Once all the pointing had been completed and no more daylight could be seem through the joints the pillar of limestone was solid and all the components fused together.  The next few days will be spent polishing the stone to get a unified colour in the Kilkenny and even the thought of it while writing this is making my arms ache!!

Installation at Cobtree

I must admit; transporting a two ton slab of Kilkenny with a big hole in it to Cobtree has kept me awake a few nights! Every detail of the move has to be considered and fortunately there was no need for a ‘Plan B’. I’ve been spending more time on the stone at the workshop over the last week, as much of my emphasis has been on carving the other sculptures. I felt the need to get to know the stone! every inch, scratch, fossil and edge!! I may have even pleaded with it at one stage to be nice to me!! We loaded up in the morning and it was all pinned, fixed and bedded down by 12 noon without any drama, thanks to Mick, Alan, Michael and Tom. The Cob leaf seat was also installed and I was happy with how it looked as well as how it felt to sit on. I finally decided on a very tactile reflective polished finish on its surfaces, which I hope will encourage any passerby to touch the stone while they sit down.The large slab will also be polished but not to the same degree as the seat, I just want to bring out the wonderful soft blue colour, which will help define the inner edge of the leaf cut out. While I’m spending the next few days doing this I will be using the quiet time to contemplate on a title for the work. It has to be right; something that not only suggests the process of carving with modern and traditional tools in stone working but also referencing the ever changing landscape through the window / portal. I know the title will just be the name I refer to the sculpture, as I’m sure the public will quickly come to refer to it as something less pretentious!!

L is for Llama

Letter cutting the names of animals for the base stone of the 'Zebra Rock' sculpture got me thinking not only how fascinating and extraordinary the diversity of animals Sir Garrard had in his collection but also how diverse language is. The words themselves reflect an origin, demonstrating the globalisation of English over centuries of exploration, with many of the words sounding as exotic as the animals themselves. Ive included the Zebra on the stone however, even though it is unsure if Sir Garrard ever owned one, it is well documented that he had a real fascination with the animal. The words have been punctuated with small bronze discs recessed into the stone and these appear on the top surface of the plinth. My intention for including text on the sculpture was to make the artwork more accessible for the viewer especially younger children who I hope can be encouraged to take 'rubbings' from the stone as they follow the sculpture trail around the park.