Object Details

Sea Change

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Location
Makers
General Information
Classification
Object Parts
Object Condition
History
References
Photographs


Author: Anthony McIntosh
Copyright for Photograph:

Creative Commons

Location

Street:Spitalfield Lane
Town:Chichester
Parish:Chichester
Council:Chichester District Council
County:West Sussex
Postcode:PO19 6SE
Location on Google Map
Object setting:Inside building
Access is:Public
Location note:St. Richard's Hospital, in the Cloister Courtyard
In the AZ book:West Sussex
Page:140
Grid reference:D5
The A-Z books used are A-Z East Sussex and A-Z West Sussex (Editions 1A 2005). Geographers' A-Z Map Company Ltd. Sevenoaks.

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Makers

Name : George Cutts
     Role:Sculptor

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General Information

Commissioned by: Donated by Art for St. Richard’s
Construction period:1996 (edition of six)
Installation date:1996
Work is:Extant
Owner custodian:St. Richard's Hospital, Chichester
Object listing:Not listed
Description:Two thin stainless steel poles slowly revolve and the shape between them changes. The optical illusion created sometimes suggests that the poles are waving and not rotating. The space between the poles can seem almost fluid like water. This optical illusion was disliked by many of the patients looking out of the surrounding ward windows and so it was stopped. The sculpture is now static.
Iconographical description:References the sea and the motion of the waves moving kelp to and fro.

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Classification

Categories:Sculptural, Free Standing, Composite, Abstract
Object type1:Sculpture
Subject type1:Non-figurative

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Object Parts

Part 1:Uprights (2)
     Material:Stainless steel
     Height (cm):1000
     Width (cm):5
     Depth (cm):5
Part 2:Base (2)
     Material:Stainless steel
     Height (cm):16
     Width (cm):50
     Depth (cm):50

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Object Condition

Overall condition:Good
Risk assessment:No known risk
Date of on-site inspection:28/07/2008

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History

History:‘Imagine that you are swimming in the sea, with the motion of waves causing kelp to sway to and fro. This vision inspired George Cutts to create a series of moving sculptures which captured this kind of motion. Sea Change is one of them. Driven by an electric motor, the curved poles create an undulating movement, causing a change in the space between them as they revolve. The generous, expansive sway in Sea Change reflects its organic origin, interesting to contemplate as it is translated through the inorganic medium of stainless steel. The steel poles catch the light as they revolve, again capturing some of the feeling of an underwater world. George Cutts is an enthusiastic scuba-diver, and has used his observations of sea weed, currents, wave motion and light in many of his sculptures. The Kiss 1991, which was exhibited at Sculpture at Goodwood during the first season, was extremely popular with visitors, and whilst it was powered in the same way as Sea Change, the more upright poles gave a very different movement - more curving, less swaying than in this sculpture. The motion in both works has a mesmerising quality, much as the tune of the snake charmer's flute mesmerises the cobra’.
(Cass Sculpture Foundation)

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References


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Photographs





Author: Anthony McIntosh
Copyright: Creative Commons




Author: Anthony McIntosh
Copyright: Creative Commons




Author: Anthony McIntosh
Copyright: Creative Commons




Author: Anthony McIntosh
Copyright: Creative Commons

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