Sarah Staton Unveils Her Latest Sculpture
Sarah Staton’s most recent artwork, Alphonso, is a celebration of sculpture in the public space
Sarah Staton, a London-based sculptor, is the latest artist to contribute to Milton Keynes 50-year-long dedication to public art, which has seen more than 250 pieces of art being created. Located in-between Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire, on Little Callow Mound, Willow Lake, she has built a folly which takes its inspiration from the nature surrounding it, as well as from the local heritage.
Named Alphonso, it is intended to be not only a piece of art, but a point of meeting and source of entertainment for the local community. A three-sided structure, it includes an archway to shelter from the rain, a bench to look out over the lake from, and plenty of intriguing details about the local area and its history to entertain young and old alike. The wood-fired brick it is built from, provided by Buckinghamshire brickworks H.G Matthews, are a reference the history of the area as the site of a brickworks, while the name, Alphonso, is dedicated to the many Italians who made up its workforce.
The Azulejos-inspired tiling not only mimics both the sky and the lake in front of the folly, but also contains images hand-drawn by Staton which reference the local wildlife and history.
The unique triangular shape of the sculpture was inspired by a visit Staton took to Rushton Lodge, a triangular folly built in the 1500s by Sir Thomas Tresham, for whom the form had particular religious importance. The shape was embraced by locals, one of whom pointed out that triangles appear in the majority of the letters involved in the name ‘Newton Leys’, and that the sculpture thus echoes the name of its location.
Sarah Staton has become more and more admired as an artist over the last decade, and has completed a number of public sculptures, including Edith and Hans, commissioned Bristol University in 2016. Named after her grandparents, the ‘room with no roof’ is another piece she has created with the aim of encouraging more people to spend time lingering out of doors, as well as as a testament to the international communities and ties behind the British creative industries.
However, Staton’s practice is not limited to sculpture. Having worked with painting, drawing, sculpture, furniture, and publications, Staton’s best known pieces are those that work to bring together artists. Just closing at the South London Gallery is SUPASTORE SOUTHSIDE, SLINGBACKS & SUNSHINE, the latest iteration of her peripatetic exhibition and store for contemporary artists.
Milton Keynes Council are putting on an opening event for Alphonso, 2– 4pm on the 18th of September 2021. There will be refreshments. RSVP culture@milton-keynes.gov.uk and see the map below for where to find the sculpture.
To learn more about the sculpture, click here
