Art Focus, Compass Magazine Vol 75 February 2022
ART FOCUS. Magazine of the Garden and Landscape Designers Association Ireland. Compass Vol 75 February 2022.
Corten Steel Hare by Calnan & Anhoj
We recently installed several of Mike Duhan’s sculptures for a client. The sense of grace and movement they brought to the garden was very successful Mike’s work is figurative and focuses on movement and balance He works in bronze finished with colourful patinas Figures range from couples dancing and balancing on top of each other to his most recent piece, The Garden Angel sculpture (see front cover). Bronze is very robust, easy to maintain will last forever, and is a favourite in the world of fine art and collectors
Corten Steel
A material which is becoming very popular for sculpture Corten steel. It is perfect in a garden setting and the way it rusts and seals itself is just fascinating. We are working with a husband-and-wife blacksmith team. Michael Cainan and Gunvor Anhoj, who specialise in sculptures using a mixture of bronze, copper and corten steel. Their pieces have become very popular with both clients and garden designers we work with. These materials look very well in a garden and require little maintenance. The Calnan/Anhoj semi abstract style fits comfortably in the landscape and the colour of Corten steel pops out against a garden backdrop. As Corten steel is a popular choice of material in gardens being regularly used for edging, this type of sculpture adds a sense of continuation to a finished garden.
Polished stainless steel is another material that works well in a garden, as it both mirrors the plants and surroundings and 450 catches light Irish artist Martin O’Keefe’s work is ideal for a modern garden or public corporate area These sculptures are large and abstract. The mirrored finish quickly becomes a focal point for any space Martin also combines Corton steel in some of his work. The contrast in these materials when placed side by side works very well. Martin likes to create unique pieces of sculpture which absorb, reflect, and i distort light and landscape, he invites the viewer to look past the obvious into the imperceptible and inconspicuous Steel is an amazing medium, it’s hard, rough and cold but when manipulated becomes soft, smooth, warm and inviting Work it and it becomes compliant, stretches, and bends, distorts and discolours. For O’Keefe, the process is as important as the outcome
The Kildare Gallery Services
Ruth Liddle and Ken Folan of The Kildare Gallery are known for their many large scale sculpture features at the Bloom Garden Festival in the Phoenix Park Sculpture in the Park removes art from the confines of gallery walls and is an exciting must-see outdoor feature at Bloom. The Kildare Gallery is located at Carton House Hotel Maynooth, Co Kildare. The gallery showcases a large selection of garden sculptures all year round. A commissioning service along with an art consultation facility is offered. We are experienced in managing tailored commissions sourcing, and supplying artworks for specific internal and external spaces We love nothing better than helping our customers find the perfect piece!