Art or propagator?
Post categories: Tom Sumner
| 15:02 UK time, Saturday, 5 July 2008
I came across this unusual concrete structure as I walked across the showground the other day. It was painted black and all wrapped up in plastic. Slits in the side revealed the contents to be millions of lettuce seedlings and at first I thought it was an attempt to create the world's largest propagator.
However on closer inspection I realised that was actually one of the conceptual gardens, entitled ' and inspired by Bipolar disorder.
Chatting with creator Tony Smith, he explained to me what the design is all about; "The black walls represent the dark lows that many people with the condition experience and the lettuce in the centre represent the peaks the brilliance and euphoria that they go through. We've used all different textures of black on the garden from glossy Tarmac and sandblasted concrete; we've even painted the surrounding grass black to represent the fact that the condition affects everybody slightly differently."
"The reason that the installation is wrapped up is not to protect the lettuce but the walls! They were becoming covered in dust with all the windy weather we've been having and we need to keep them clean.
"I've been allowed three weeks on site to get the exhibit ready as that's how long it takes the lettuce (which are sow in-situ) to grow." If anything the plastic has been a nuisance as all the hot weather we've been having made the lettuce start of damp off and we had to make holes in it for ventilation."
This is a really unusual design and it's bound to get people at the show talking. I'm really excited to see how it turns out on Monday, when the wrapping finally comes off and the giant present is revealed to the World.
However on closer inspection I realised that was actually one of the conceptual gardens, entitled ' and inspired by Bipolar disorder.
Chatting with creator Tony Smith, he explained to me what the design is all about; "The black walls represent the dark lows that many people with the condition experience and the lettuce in the centre represent the peaks the brilliance and euphoria that they go through. We've used all different textures of black on the garden from glossy Tarmac and sandblasted concrete; we've even painted the surrounding grass black to represent the fact that the condition affects everybody slightly differently."
"The reason that the installation is wrapped up is not to protect the lettuce but the walls! They were becoming covered in dust with all the windy weather we've been having and we need to keep them clean.
"I've been allowed three weeks on site to get the exhibit ready as that's how long it takes the lettuce (which are sow in-situ) to grow." If anything the plastic has been a nuisance as all the hot weather we've been having made the lettuce start of damp off and we had to make holes in it for ventilation."
This is a really unusual design and it's bound to get people at the show talking. I'm really excited to see how it turns out on Monday, when the wrapping finally comes off and the giant present is revealed to the World.
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