Page 41 - Studio International - July August 1972

PLYMOUTH
John Panting

In 1969 I was invited to participate in a
competition in New Zealand similar to the one
set up by Stuyvesant. The notes I offered with
my entry (specifications, maquette etc) might
easily have accompanied my proposal in the
present project; from them the following
seemed relevant when I first thought about the
sites available in Plymouth.
`Since form and size/scale are interdependent
characteristics/constituents it is difficult in most
cases to make anything but the vaguest
suggestion as to the size and form of a piece
likely to work in a large extremely active space.
I have attempted to overcome this problem by
providing a skeletal structure that functions
mainly in terms of it's interior spatial
relationships. This means that the form itself,
the actual configuration, is unlikely to change
whatever the size/scale of the final work. It also
means that that final size is absolutely critical if
the completed piece is to work effectively in
terms of its surroundings.'
Then, as now, I really didn't consider the
nature of the opportunity as being any other
than a chance to extend my own experience of
sculpture—the cooperation of the local
authority (no doubt offered more readily with
the assurance that they'd only have to put up
with the stuff for six months) seemed enough to
guarantee that 'the problem of public sculpture'
was faced by the public and not the sculptor.
The fact that structural stability, durability
etc., required particular attention, possibly not
normally a problem, didn't seem to change the
issue, and arguments concerned with the
morality of erecting sculpture publicly e.g. ones
concerned with eliteist activities being foisted
on to the populace etc., seem untenable.
However the extra contingencies of actually
making and erecting a piece in public have
proved to be more affecting than I thought and
seem to require a different sort of activity from
the sculptor.
Due to safety requirements and the structure
of the piece, I was unable to work on site and
in the light of briefly considered response
(both mine and the public's) this was a mistake.
The whole project might have been more
interesting had I attempted to establish a
`sculptural activity' (sic) yielding an area of
experience that permitted a more critical
examination of what was actually being done.
With the exception of the engineers and the
site workmen who had a useful basis for coming
to terms with the work, public response has been
devoid of observation and consisted mainly of
hostile reactions.The observations are useful,
the abuse I can do without. q

Work for North Cross Roundabout, Plymouth
Painted mild steel tube, aluminium alloy tube,
stainless steel cables, 5.3 m height

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