Vestige Figures by Rob Mulholland

Location
David Marshall Lodge Visitors Centre
Aberfoyle, Scotland. U.K

Materials
Stainless steel. Mirror polished.

Dimensions
73.2″H

Price
$20,000-$30,000

The story behind the piece
The essence of who we are as individuals in relation to others and our environment, forms a strong aspect of my artistic practise.

In Vestige I wanted to explore this relationship further by creating a group, a community within the protective elements of the woods, reflecting the past inhabitants of the space.

Before the First World War this area of Scotland was open hillside with small sheep farming Crofts [ farms ] and rural communities. The crofters were moved to other land by the government as there was a desperate need for timber after the war. The area was planted with fast growing conifer trees suitable for harvesting softwood and the landscape altered once again.

You can still see the faint outlines of the crofts and past settlements within the forest. This intrigued me and I wanted to find a visual form that would represent the past inhabitants of this land.

The six male and female figures represent a vestige, a faint trace of the past people and communities that once occupied and lived in this space. The figures absorb their environment, reflecting in their surface the daily changes of life in the forest. They create a visual notion of non – space, a void, as if they are at one moment part of our world and then, as they fade into the forest, they become an intangible outline.

The human desire to leave a trace of ones-self for future generations has always intrigued me. It’s a driving force to create and leave a semblance of our-selves as individuals and society. The reflective figures ask us to look again and consider the symbiotic relationship we have with our natural and man-made environment.

Random Act of De-Constructvism by Rob Mulholland

Rob was invited by the curators of International Arts Residence in Moscow to create a landmark sculpture for the new International Sculpture Park in Vyksa, Russia. The event was co-ordinated as part of the 2013 Art – Ovrag International Festival which involved over 300 visual artists and performers in dance and music from over the world.

The main challenge was create a large sculpture in just 5 days to be ready for the opening of the Festival on the 31st of May. Normally this size of sculpture would take at least 4 weeks to complete, but Rob had to complete two other large scale installations in Germany and France just prior to his visit to Russia. So with an extremely tight schedule Rob arrived at the end of May firstly in Moscow, then onward to Vyksa to commence work on sculpture ‘Random act of desconstructivism’

The commission brief was to create a link with 20th century Russian Avant-garde and present contemporary art aesthetics. Rob was drawn to the work of Russian Constructivists for inspiration, particularly sculptors Tatlin and Gabo. With this historical reference Rob decided to design a de-constructed tower. The aim was to create a constructivist inspired tower which had succumbed to forces of gravity and force. The interplay with man-made structures and the unpredictable aspects of nature represent the aspects of order and chaos associated with the manifesto of de-constructivism. This concept also represents the continued human relationship with the natural world. As we try to control and distort our environment we are learning that nature responds in ever more unpredictable ways.

Still by Rob Mulholland

Location
Loch Earn, Scotland

Materials
Mirrored stainless steel sections

Dimensions
110.2″ H x 31.4″ W

Price
$20,000-$30,000

The story behind the piece

The solitary figure stands at the head of a Loch Earn. The figure symbolises the physical and spiritual relationship between humans and the natural wilderness. The figure is in constant flux, the small panels that form the sculpture are being torn away with the prevailing wind, being re – shaped by the natural forces. It investigates the fundamental aspects of self awareness and our connection with our environment.