A fig tree tunnel leads visitors down a path beside sculptor David Cruickshank’s house to reveal, at the end, his spectacular secret garden, opened for visitors on 20 June as part of Sussex Craft week.
Brick paths weave through flower beds, bay and rose arches, trees and shrubs and down to the cliff edge with views across the river and the marsh. At his annual open garden, David exhibits his wooden and bronze resin sculptures placed amongst the plants.
Pieces of wood, bleached and weathered natural sculptures, sit alongside carved and polished work whose form and texture have emerged as a response to the shape, splits and grain of the wood.
The positionings of the sculptures are carefully chosen – in one flower bed a bronze resin biomorphic figure echoes elements of a nearby piece of wood, in another the colour of the wood is matched by the colour of a nearby rose.
In an alcove by the garden wall, surrounded by an arch of bay trees, is the start of a wall display made from shells and other natural materials and visitors were encouraged to add to the design from the collection of objects stored beneath it – a lovely way to respond to the garden and the local environment.
At the private view on Friday 19 June, David Cruickshank took the opportunity to talk about his work on display and about his wider plans. He has formed, with a small steering group, Rye Heritage, Environment and Arts (RHEA) with the aim to pull together various groups in the town to “enhance and add value to existing heritage, environmental and arts organisations in Rye and surrounding areas.” As job security is threatened by AI, welfare and benefit costs are becoming unsustainable and mental health issues are increasing, one of RHEA’s aims is to “provide opportunities for people to explore their talents and abilities, to find out what they are capable of through skills development, apprenticeships and offering lifelong learning in traditional crafts and innovative technology.”
David’s plans for RHEA are still at a very early stage but just as he has patiently created his garden and sculptures, and with his vision and experience, they are bound to develop and evolve further.
Image Credits: Juliet Duff .