Back In The Wood

Or, more precisely, back in Devil's Glen Wood, outside Ashford, Co Wicklow to take a look at another of the artists featured in the Sculpture In Woodland project formed in 1994 with the aim of creating a greater awareness of wood as an artistic and functional medium - this was explained in more detail in this earlier post.

Today it's the turn of Portugese sculptor Alberto Carneiro and his featured work in Douglas fir - Woodland Mandala.

Devil's Glen Wood

Today, we are in the spectacular Devil's Glen Wood, Ashford, Co Wicklow, for the first of a couple of visits. The Devil's Glen Wood, site of the Sculpture in Woodland project, is owned by Coillte, basically a government controlled company, whose core purpose, quoting from their website, "is to enrich lives locally, nationally and globally through the innovative and sustainable management of natural resources."  They own 7% of the land cover of Ireland!   Above is part of Canadian artist Kat O'Brien's Seven Shrines installation.

 
The site was once part of the Glanmore estate, former ancestral home of John Millington Synge. The Sculpture in Woodland project was formed in 1994 with the aim of creating a greater awareness of wood as an artistic and functional medium. Creative artists are facilitated in responding in new ways to the natural environment; in return the artists give the community a rich and diverse range of work, situated in an environment that is very different to a traditional gallery space. Artists are commissioned on an annual basis and to date seventeen sculptures, by both Irish and international artists, have been permanently sited in the Devil's Glen.

Left, and below Chago by French artist Jacques Bosser.

It's now 16 years since the project was started and all around the site is evidence of the effect  of the passage of time where many of the sculptures have gradually deteriorated and will eventually give themselves back to their natural surroundings.

The Orangery

During the recent National Heritage Week we took the opportunity to visit Killruddery House and Gardens, home to the 15th Earl of Meath in  Bray, Co Wicklow - well, they were offering visitors free entrance to the gardens that day!

So, here we feature The Orangery, designed and built by the Scottish architect William Burn in 1852.  According to Killruddery's website, 'the original glass dome was the work of Richard Turner who designed the curvilinear range at the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin and at Kew Gardens in London'.

The Orangery, which was restored in the year 2000, has a collection of classical marble statues gathered in Italy between 1830 and 1850.


Tomorrow, we take a stroll in the gardens.

Indian Sculpture Park VII

This is the last post from our visit to the wonderful and amazing Indian Sculpture Park at Victoria's Way, Roundwood, Co Wicklow and today we look at the 30 ft sculpture, located in it's own park, entitled Create or Die which represents the belief that "creating difference is spiritual, i.e. life giving" and that "abiding in sameness is un-spiritual, i.e.life denying."  Click here for a more comprehensive explanation from the Sculpture Park's owner and creator Victor Langheld.

So that's it - we finish with a picnic in the park surrounded by some of the more randomly placed sculptures.  All this for the princely sum of € 2.50 (a little more than 3 bucks!). The Park is open daily from 12.30 pm till 18.00 pm, May 1st to September 12th.

Indian Sculpture Park VI

 The marathon post/visit continues at Victoria's Way, Roundwood, Co Wicklow. This magnificent 15ft bronze of ‘the Buddha-to-be suppressing the urge to life’ represents the ascetic (or ‘wilderness’, or ‘Dark Night’) phase through which all wanderers pass. For the full dissertation click here.

 The bronze is a copy of a 2ft stone Gandhara (Roman provincial) period sculpture carved in the 1st century AD in what is now Pakistan.

And yes, it's good to talk!

Indian Sculpture Park V

We are still here in the Indian Sculpture Park at Victoria's Way, Roundwood, Co Wicklow and in a small clearing in the forest we happen upon the startling sculpture of the Split Man.  Again we defer to our oracle, Victor Langheld : "Failing to realize the true self leaves the Split Man incomplete, unfulfilled and miserable." He therefore needs to die in order to start again.  Only when he has attained his goal of enlightenment and joy can he become like the figure on the left, with all stress extinguished - Nirvana Man aka Mr Cool!

Indian Sculpture Park IV

Back in Victoria's Way, Roundwood Co Wicklow, and continuing along our chosen forest path we happen upon this sculpture, in a pond, called the Ferryman's End. "The sculpture is a metaphor for the individual who is losing touch with the real world, personal or general" - according to owner Victor Langheld.








Thought provoking as all this is, here among the unspoilt surroundings of the forest there are other distractions such as these two below:

Indian Sculpture Park III

So, into the enchanted forest at Victor Langheld's Indian Sculpture Park at Victoria's Way, Roundwood, Co Wicklow, to meander through the maze-like paths in search of peace and enlightenment.  The sculptures we encounter "symbolize the stages of the journey from un-wholeness to wholeness, to awakening, enlightenment, fulfilment and the happiness that is the reward for complete fulfilment."

The title of this piece is Awakening Or Birth of Conciousness and, as I am now totally out of my depth, it is time for me to refer you to Victor's website for a real commentary on the sculptures by clicking here.

Indian Sculpture Park II

Continuing our visit to Victor Langheld's Indian Sculpture Park at Victoria's Way, Roundwood, Co Wicklow we see some more of the amazingly detailed Ganesh figures. Above, Flute Ganesh.

On the left, side view of Uileann Pipes Ganesh also known as PaddyGanesh - notice the pint of Guinness!

Below, Tabla Ganesh.

Indian Sculpture Park

The Indian Sculpture Park at Victoria's Way near Roundwood, Co Wicklow is a privately owned property with an amazing collection of 12 stone carvings, four bronzes and a 30-tonne gate sculpted by Indian artists.

The sculptures were dreamt up and sketched in Roundwood by the Park's owner, Victor Langheld and were made in Mahabalipuram, India by the sculptor T. Baskaran and the stucco artist, D.V. Murugan. The Park covers an area of 22 unspoilt acres where you can wander along the many pathways marked by obscure signposts and dotted with random sculptures.

On entering the park you encounter 9 black granite carvings of the Hindu deity Ganesh ranging in size from 5ft 6 ins to 9 ft and weighing between 2 and 5 tonnes.