Summary
This sculpture is made totally out of man-made materials - wire, piping, plastic, film cassettes (we call these "found objects") - but it has the shape of an orchid flower. It stands 2 metres high, much larger than the flower it represents. The building of it started with the large central yellow gas pipe laid on its side. Holes were drilled into it, and then cut pieces of waste materials were added. Throughout the process the artists thought about and discussed its shape in organic, rather than industrial terms. It is supported by a steel pole, driven into the ground. It is an "open form" sculpture because you can see through it and round it

Viewing suggestions

Stand back from it and see it all.
Look up through it at the sky.
Think of it on a sunny day or a dull day. Would it look different?
Look through it at the things behind it and the things around it - plants, trees, vegetation, the electricity pylons. Identify its colours.

Look very closely into the sculpture to see the separate parts it is made from and see if you can identify them and see how it was made.

What is an orchid? A rare flower.

Why is it called "The Orchid"? Because it looks like one.

What is it made of? Wire, plastic pipe, film cassettes.

How was it made and how long did it take? Drilling and threading things on the wire. One day.

Does it look natural? No, but it sort of represents a natural thing.

What colour is a real orchid? Purple or pink.
What colours can you see in this sculpture? Black, white yellow, green and silver.

How do you know this is not real? It's materials and size.

What things does it most look like? The industrial structures, because they are made of similar things.

Why is it positioned among natural things? To act as a contrast and to make us think about the materials it is made of and the world that surrounds nature.

What does this tell us? It tells us things about itself - what it is made of and that it is man made and that organic things are different.

Is it beautiful? Yes and no. Ask why. Children give an answer or an opinion.

Will it decay like a flower? No, it is not organic.

How can we make one out of natural materials? A log, drilled, sticks in holes and leaves. Some children did this at Broad Oak Nature Reserve. Try this at school using flower arranging materials.

Other related artists work.

Some artists in the early 1900's started making "open form" sculpture. Example - Alexander Rodchenko - a Russian artist. Picasso also experimented with this type of sculpture. Artist, Marcel Duchamp, made things from everyday objects at this time as well. At school try making sculptures like this with wire and pieces of card and paper.