The designer behind the popular poppy installation at the Tower of London for the first world war anniversary in 2014 is creating a new and startling public artwork to mark another centenary.
Designer Tom Piper is to install a series of bright and mysterious figures in dramatic settings in Thetford Forest, on the Norfolk-Suffolk border, in a collaboration with the Forestry Commission and the acclaimed sculptural artist Lisa Wright.
Future Forest, which is to be unveiled on 4 October and remain on view for eight months, is part of the commission’s centenary celebrations. It takes the form of a series of life-size models of characters drawn from classical literature and legend, including Daphne, Venus, Cupid and Hymen; each is intended to represent an enduring “custodian” of the forest landscape. The figures will be displayed in a series of structures designed by Piper, from a natural avenue and a clearing of dead trees to a viewpoint over open land, in a project aimed at underlining the importance of trees and woodland to human survival.
“Each location has a very different feel but I hope as a whole they will create a coherent journey,” said Piper. “Sometimes they are quoting the more formal relationship of statuary seen at the end of long avenues, and at other moments allowing the surprise encounter at close quarters with a figure in a clearing.”
Wright’s “custodians” are made from bio-resins, chosen by her above traditional plastics due to the lower level of toxic emissions created by their production. The artist, who is based in Cornwall, like Piper has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the installation they have created together is designed to have a theatrical impact.
“This sculpture trail will stop visitors to Thetford Forest in their tracks, both for the beauty of the figures and the drama that the installations bring to the landscape,” said PK Khaira-Creswell, director of the Forestry Commission’s centenary programme.
“Amid the climate crisis, England’s trees and woodlands have never been so important for people and nature. As our centenary year draws to a close, we want people to pause and consider their role as custodians of our forests, protecting and enhancing them for the next 100 years.”
