What’s On at Yorkshire Sculpture Park Summer 2010
The only one of its kind in Europe, Yorkshire Sculpture Park is an extraordinary place that sets out to challenge, inspire, inform and delight. Set in stunning historic parkland, just one mile from M1, junction 38, YSP is an international centre for modern and contemporary art, experienced and enjoyed by thousands of visitors every year.
Discover more than sixty sculptures in the open air by some of the world’s most interesting artists, including Henry Moore, James Turrell and Andy Goldsworthy; visit four unique indoor galleries for changing exhibitions; enjoy walks in 500 acres of beautiful landscape; and take part in a dynamic programme of events and activities.
Bretton Hall with Anthony Caro, Promenade, 1996
David Nash Yorkshire Sculpture Park presents a rich and extensive exhibition of more than 300 works by David Nash, tracing the evolution of the artist’s forty year career and offering a vivid statement of his life’s work in his largest ever project. Nash has developed a unique knowledge of the different properties of wood as an artistic material. In learning to ‘speak the language of wood’ Nash often approaches trees as ‘wood quarries’, using chainsaws to work the trunk, limbs and branches and creates sculpture that will naturally crack and warp as it dries, and which he sometimes burns to a dense, impenetrable mass. The result is an extraordinary body of work that celebrates the artist’s understanding and articulation of his material. As a permanent commission, Nash has created Black Steps, an ambitious landscape intervention of charred oak and coal.
David Nash Exhibition 29 May 2010 – 27 February 2011 Underground Gallery, Longside Gallery, Bothy & Garden Galleries, Open Air. A £20 book with texts by Annie Proulx, Ben Tufnell, Sabine Schlenker and Peter Murray, together with a free exhibition leaflet, £5 guidebook, and other merchandise, is available from the YSP shop and at www.shop-ysp.co.uk. In addition, David Nash has created a unique range of multiples available exclusively to YSP. An Evening with David Nash at Wakefield Theatre Royal 11 June. 8pm. £10, £8, £6. www.theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk Call 01924 211311 to book. Free David Nash Exhibition Tours Monday to Friday, 2pm (term time). Exhibition generously supported by Roger Evans and supported by the Henry Moore Foundation and Arts Council England, Yorkshire.
Wood continues to teach and lead me so long as I am true to the path it offers. Along the way it shows me forms and actions that can be explored with other materials. Photo: Julia Schwager
Photo: David Nash
Current Artists & Projects Richard William Wheater Upper Space From 29 May 2010.
Rebecca Chesney Visiting Artist Throughout 2010.
Richard William Wheater is a Yorkshire based artist who creates performance and installations that explore our relationship with the natural environment. YSP’s Upper Space features Wheater’s 2008 project Them & Us, which took place across six UK locations, including Ferrybridge Power Station, Leicester Botanical Gardens and YSP.
Rebecca Chesney continues her research into the bees and plants of the Bretton Estate, developing new drawings, photography, installations and film from her boathouse studio. With the help of experts and visitors, Chesney’s residency draws attention to the plight of bees, which are under great threat.
Using a mobile furnace, Wheater produced a number of glass birds, selecting species that had a particular connection with each place and which, once complete, were thrown into the air and allowed to fall and smash. The action was captured in beautiful photographs by David Lindsay. The exhibition features huge backlit images and artefacts from the project.
Help Rebecca to learn more about the species that live at the Park by picking up a Bee Identification Card from the YSP Centre. Or make a ‘bee promise’ to encourage wild species to your own garden and receive a limited edition badge featuring original artwork by Rebecca. See Events: 25 July, 27 August. Supported by the Co-operative Membership.
A fully illustrated book, funded by Arts Council England, Yorkshire, and published and supported by YSP, is available to purchase from the YSP shop priced £12.
Photo: David Lindsay
Richard William Wheater, Them and Us - New Forest, 2008. Photo: David Lindsay
In the Open Air Alec Finlay Home to a king (3) Throughout 2010.
Alex Metcalf The Tree Listening Project 31 July & 1 August.
Home to a king (3) comprises a series of ten nest-boxes sited throughout the Park, each featuring crossword clues based on the names of British trees. These can be used to complete a crossword in an accompanying free guide. Each nest-box is designed to house a particular species of bird found at YSP and is colourmatched to the leaves of the tree on which it is hung, enabling the project to become an important part of the Park’s natural habitat.
Alex Metcalf is an artist and designer who creates installations and artworks that engage participants in natural processes. Alex will spend the weekend at YSP demonstrating The Tree Listening Project, which enables visitors to listen to the sound of water moving up inside a tree, through the xylem tubes from the roots to the leaves.
Home to a king (3) is an ongoing project by Alec Finlay across the UK. See Events: 30 July.
Active Ingredient A Conversation Between Trees 17 - 20 & 23 - 29 August. Active Ingredient will be at YSP to look at trees in different environments and using sensors and mobile phones to visualise and interpret environmental data as part of a new artwork. This work is in partnership with artist Silvia Leal from Estudio Movil Experimental in Brazil and scientists based at the UK MET Office. There will be opportunities for visitors to get involved as well as an artists’ informal presentation of the work.
Longside Gallery
New Book
NEW ACQUISITIONS FROM THE ARTS COUNCIL COLLECTION 2010
Malamp The Occurrence of Deformities in Amphibians by Brandon Ballengée.
Now Showing 2: New Film and Video from the Arts Council Collection. 29 May - 11 July. This is the second in a series of touring exhibitions presenting new film and video works in the form of a miniature season, with a different film shown each week. Now Showing 2 features work by: Spartacus Chetwynd, Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard, Torsten Lauschmann, Simon Martin, Mark Neville and Margaret Salmon. Rod Dickinson & Tom McCarthy Greenwich Degree Zero 24 July - 10 October. In this major multimedia installation, French Anarchist Martial Bourdin’s failed 1894 attempt to blow up the Royal Observatory is re-imagined as a successful attack. Reflecting on issues of mediation and repetition, Dickinson and McCarthy rework newspaper reports from the time and present fake film and photography to fit their version of events.
Published by Yorkshire Sculpture Park and The Arts Catalyst, edited by Nicola Triscott and Miranda Pope. Over the last decade there has been great interest in the intersections between art and science; New York artist Brandon Ballengée’s artistic practice is immersed in the study and exchange of ideas around biodiversity and ecological change and he uniquely fuses disciplines. Ballengée conducted research and eco-actions at YSP during 2007-08, and this new monograph brings together his UK and global research into amphibian populations with subsequent artworks. It includes texts on his practice from art, science and ecological perspectives, including contributions from renowned art critic and curator Lucy R Lippard; Clare Lilley, Head Curator at YSP; and Stanley K Sessions, Professor of Biology at Hartwick College, New York. The publication is richly illustrated with Ballengée’s extraordinary photographs, drawings and other works. Available from YSP shop, £15.95.
Mark Neville, Fancy Pictures, 2008, Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © The Artist
Helen Escobedo, Summer Fields, 2008
Events at Yorkshire Sculpture Park Just turn up for drop in events. For all others call 01924 830579 or email info@ysp.co.uk to book ahead. Sign up to e-news and be the first to hear about upcoming events and activities. Visit our website at www.ysp.co.uk F = Look out for our family events. David Nash Exhibition Tours Monday to Friday 2pm (except for school holidays). Free admission. Meet in the foyer of Underground Gallery to begin this exciting introductory talk. Free Art & Landscape Tours Every Saturday & Sunday, 2pm (from 29 May 2010). Start at the Visitor Centre. Join one of our volunteers to explore the art and rich history of the YSP landscape.
JUNE F Running Round a Ring - Family Sculpture Workshops 1, 2 & 3 June. Drop in 10.30am - 12.30pm & 1.30pm - 3.30pm. £1. Use branches to build linear sculptures. An evening with David Nash at Wakefield Theatre Royal 11 June. 8pm. £10, £8, £6 (plus concessions). Book now for a rare opportunity to hear David Nash: 01924 211311. Master Class Drawing Course 9 - 13 June. £355. Join five different sculptors, including special guest David Nash, to explore their distinctive approach to drawing. Ice and Fire Theatre Company present Asylum Dialogues 13 June. 2pm. Free admission. Exploring some of the everyday encounters between British people and those seeking sanctuary in the UK. Lynsey Walters - Bag making workshop 26 June. 10.30am - 4pm. £45 including lunch. Work with talented textile artist Lynsey Walters to create your own designed bag. YSP Late 25 June. Open to 8pm. Free parking. Late night art, shopping and dining. Adventures in Art with Sue Hubbard 25 June. 6pm. £2 including glass of wine. Join acclaimed author and critic Sue Hubbard as she discusses her new book about contemporary art in Britain.
JULY Bronze Casting Course 7 - 11 July. £550. A five-day course with Castle Fine Arts Foundry. F Walking with Bees 25 July. 10.30 - 12.30pm. Family workshops 2 - 4pm. Free admission, pre-booking essential. Join artist Rebecca Chesney and local bee experts for free walks and talks. This is a Co-operative Members’ bee-spoke day; members will receive priority booking. F Summer, Sun & Shade Family Workshop 26 & 28 July. 10.30am - 12.30pm & 1.30pm - 3.30pm. £1. Explore ideas of light and dark through drawing and sculpture. YSP Late 30 July. Open to 8pm. Free parking. Late night art, shopping and dining. small means, rich ends 30 July. 6pm. £2 including glass of wine. Join exhibiting artist Alec Finlay for poetry and conversation. My Town Exhibition 30 July - 27 August. Free admission. Photography and digital art by young offenders from Wakefield at Bridge Arts, Castleford. Alex Metcalf, Tree Listening Project 31 July & 1 August. Drop in. Free admission. Experience the sound of trees ‘drinking’ as you listen to water travelling from roots to leaves. © Alex Metcalf, RHS Harlow Carr, 2009
Shop & Restaurant AUGUST Hot glass sculpture course with Richard William Wheater 4 - 8 August. £525. Join artist Richard William Wheater to explore a variety of hot glass techniques. F Art as Environment Family Sculpture Workshop with Emily Speed 24 & 25 August. 10.30am - 12.30pm & 1.30pm - 3.30pm. Drawing and sculptural activities to create unusual self-portraits as buildings. YSP Late 27 August. Open to 8pm. Free parking. Late night art, shopping and dining. Bees on the Water 27 August. 6pm. Free admission, pre-booking essential. Bring your own picnic and join Rebecca Chesney for an informal talk. Sunrise in the Skyspace 28 August. 4.30am. Meet at the Visitor Centre. Experience James Turrell’s artwork as the first dawn light illuminates the chamber. Call 01924 832508 to book. A Conversation Between Trees 17 - 20 & 23 - 29 August. Drop in. Free admission. An opportunity to look at invisible data in the YSP woodlands including CO2 and humidity while taking part in a live link-up with a tropical forest in Brazil.
SEPTEMBER Manasamitra at YSP 5 September. 2pm. Drop in. An exhilarating music performance inspired by David Nash. Beginners Dry Stone Walling Course 13 - 17 September. 9am - 3pm. £35 per day per person. Book for the full five days or try a taster session (2 days min). Join Master Craftsman Nigel Goody to learn the basics of dry stone walling. Samantha Bryan Fairy-Making Workshop 18 September. 10.30am - 4pm. £45 including lunch. Artist Samantha Bryan will share the ideas and processes involved in her work. Kinetic Sculpture Course with Jim Bond 24, 25 & 26 September. £225. A three-day introductory course illustrating the mechanisms of kinetic sculpture during which participants will design and build their own sculpture to take home. YSP Late 24 September. Open to 8pm. Free parking. Late night art, shopping and dining. See www.ysp.co.uk for future David Nash events and study days.
Catch up with friends to enjoy a quality, locally sourced menu and panoramic views of the Country Park from YSP’s fabulous restaurant. ‘This restaurant is first rate in its field, serving honest food, which at its best is as good as I can remember having.’ Yorkshire Post The YSP Shop continually presents innovative contemporary craft and design, providing a unique alternative to high street shopping: choose from contemporary craft, classic Vitra furniture, specialist art books, and much more. Drop in to our modern, spacious shop or browse online at www.shop-ysp.co.uk Shop and Restaurant open daily 10 - 5pm, hot food served until 3pm.
Make Friends with YSP Become a YSP Friend this summer and receive a free Essential Sculpture Guide, worth £5, as well as the usual, exclusive benefits. Find out more about the regular newsletters, special events and great discounts that Friends receive on the YSP website or pick up a leaflet from the Centre. To claim your free book simply quote ‘Summer Friends Offer’ on registration. Offer ends 30.06.10.
Visitor Information Contact us Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton, West Yorkshire, WF4 4LG T: 01924 832631 W: www.ysp.co.uk Twitter/YSPsculpture Facebook/YorkshireSculpturePark Admission Admission free. The only charge is ÂŁ4 to park your car. Opening times (29 March - 25 October) Grounds & YSP Centre: 10am - 6pm Galleries, Shop & Restaurant: 10am - 5pm Longside Gallery: 11am - 4pm YSP Late (open until 8pm with free parking): 25 June, 30 July, 27 August, and 24 September 2010. Accessibility Free use of mobility scooters - please call ahead to book on 01924 832631. Public transport YSP is a 35 minute bus journey from Wakefield Westgate railway station, which is seven miles away. Plan your route at www.metrojourneyplanner.info Directions One mile from M1, junction 38. Follow the brown heritage signs on the A637 to the YSP Centre.
Group visits YSP welcomes groups and offers coach parking, catering packages, free introductory talks in the Underground Gallery, specialist tour packages and more. To book call 01924 832508 or email groups@ysp.co.uk Learning visits YSP is an inspiring environment in which to learn. We offer courses, study days, lectures, tours and schools programmes to challenge and stimulate. To find out more, call 01924 832528 or email learning@ysp.co.uk YSP is an accredited museum and registered charity, number 1067908. is proud to be the media partner of YSP and is showing a behind-the-scenes film on Sky Arts 1 HD featuring insights from key people about YSP’s unique art, landscape and history, plus a preview of David Nash at work in his Welsh studio. Sky Arts offers great arts and culture programming every day across four television channels, including two in spectacular high definition. Watch a short version online at skyarts.co.uk/ysp Photos by Jonty Wilde unless stated otherwise.
Facilities Self-service restaurant (with highchairs), shop, toilets and baby changing. Free parking for blue badge holders. Please follow the YSP code. Front cover image: David Nash, Red Column, 2010