Ahead of building the monumental wooden installation, Untitled #215, as part of his Child’s Play project, artist Aeneas Wilder worked with students from Lodge Park Academy on what was the first day of their A-Level Art course.
Working in The Core at Corby Cube‘s Lab Space, Aeneas shared some examples of his previous work explaining how many of the complex sculptures had begun from simple geometry. Using the very same wooden pieces that Aeneas will be building his new transient sculpture with, students started constructing simple equilateral triangles, which became hexagons, squares and other more complex shapes.
At this point students made decisions about how their geometric patterns would develop in three dimensions, emphasising certain shapes by removing wooden sticks before building upwards. One group developed a series of towers with a wave formation running through the vertical edges. Another attempted an ambitious dome structure by incrementally adjusting sticks by millimetres at a time.
At various points the groups suffered a series of accidental knock downs, which whilst momentarily deflating for the students, it emphasised the precarious nature of Aeneas’ sculptures – created entirely through placement and gravity with no other fixings in place.
Working collaboratively students patiently assembled a large horseshoe-shaped wall structure, requiring the use of a ladder to balance the very highest pieces. After documenting their work for their A-level portfolios this time a very deliberate kickdown ensued to much excitement in the room.
Supported by Northamptonshire Community Foundation’s Compton Fund. Commissioned as part of Xylophobia, Fermynwoods Contemporary Art’s new two-year programme funded by Arts Council England. Named from the fear of wooden objects or forests, Xylophobia addresses issues of place and belonging which go to the heart of community feelings of exclusion from both the art world and woodland spaces.