Using art as a link at Broad Oak Nature Reserve
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This is a sculptural model the artist has made based ideas about Broad Oak, linking electrical and natural forms. He has used roughly cut wood and painted it with vibrantly coloured oil paint. These are called "maquettes" which are models for larger sculptures but can also be sculptures in their own right. They are neither nature nor industry, and are meant to provoke questions about both and about art.
Here the sculptural model the artist has made, again links electrical and natural forms through colour signs and materials. He has simply taken some found wood, removed the bark, sliced and shaped it, glued it together and painted it with richly coloured artists oil paints. They take about a week to dry.
As an example for the groups attending the programme, the artist uses a simple light fitting. One way up it is functional, it holds a light bulb, and the other way up it can be a tulip. Simple objects like this can stimulate the imagination and emphasise the theme of electrical/man-made and nature.
Reference is made to the many industrial forms seen on the Broad Oak site. Thiese areelectrical insulators. The resident artist, Paul Goodrick, has used this component to develop sculptural ideas, linking nature and industry. The children will also use this shape as an idea for making sculptures out of natural materials.
These 5 metre high steel sculptures are called "The Insulators" and are a link to art work on the site. They initially were placed in one of the site's lakes, but were moved to another location, where they worked better. The full story of the building, structure and ideas about the insulators can be seen on Naturegrid's Sculpture trail pages, click here.
This sculpture is called "The Orchid". It is 3 metres high and is made entirely from waste materials found on the site. The full story of the building, structure and ideas about the orchid can be seen on Naturegrid's Sculpture trail pages, click here.
A giant Pylon Bird Sculpture made by the artist on the site. This is a combination of nature and electrical industry seen at Broad Oak. Its inspiration came from the structure of the electricity pylon and from natural forms seen on the site. It stands 4 metres high and is made from painted wood. The full story of the building, structure and ideas about this sculpture can be seen on Naturegrid's Sculpture trail pages, click here. This sculpture is chosen to show the whole process of how a sculpture is made, click here.
Sawdust, a waste natural product has been used by the artist to make a temporary art work. Reference is made to the work of other artists who have worked outdoors using natural materials and images of their work are shown to groups. Examples are Andy Goldsworthy who works closely with nature, often on very temporary sculptures, some only lasting for a few moments. He uses grass and berries.
Here, a sculpture at Broad Oak links another theme, the seasons and the site's open air promenade theatre. This too is a temporary sculpture, made from willow and hazel branches. The full story of the building, structure and ideas about the willow man or "Thinker" can be seen on Naturegrid's Sculpture trail pages, click here. You can also have more information on willow sculpture by the artist, click here
In another location, this time at a hydro electric power station in the Alps, the artist has used the image of the pylon in a river. He has built granite stone towers, like a straight row of pylons, across a river bed. Here the temporary nature and fragility of both natural and man made things is shown dramatically as the surge flooding of the river, caused by the generator releasing water, washes away the art work in minutes. It also serves to emphasise both the power of industrial production and nature at the same time. Paul Goodrick made art in many rivers - to see more, click here.

This is temporary art of a gentle style. Here in a woodland setting. A group of children to build a sculpture of a snake out of natural materials. It is then photographed after one week and then after 3 months. Natural gradual decay has taken place. Now it will be completely returned to the forest floor. Some of the children who built this in 1999, came to Broad Oak for the exploring programme in 2001. They are older. Nature has changed them too.
These sculptures show how natural objects are represented and given different slants of interpretation by the artist. He uses wood, stone and metal.