8 Sept 2024
About this item
This sculpture of Swaledale Swifts was developed by the artist from his oil painting called 'Swift Children Overcoming Barriers To Their Learning'. Tim Jago Morris uses simplified representations of the swifts in his artworks to symbolise children playing. He makes comparisons in his artworks to children's development, though studies made on paper of these swifts representing their playful and acrobatic flight with abstract colour combinations. He melts Cobalt Blue, Grey, Copper Blue, Lime Green and Citrine Glass Casting Crystal into the forms of these Swift representations. The Swifts are permanently mounted to an exquisitely power-carved piece of Chestnut Wood which has been sanded and polished to achieve an exceptional finish. Tim creates his own pigmented Danish Oils to compliment and protect this unique grain of the timber. The pallet of colours Tim uses in the cast Crystal Glass Swifts and his timber stain harmonise the two materials. The entire sculpture is elevated in the display of an outstanding level of craftmanship using carved Swaledale stone to secure the piece. Tim selected a stone from the initial place where he first observed the swifts darting over the Moorlands of Swaledale in the North Yorkshire Dales. The Swaledale stone compliments the colours of the Chestnut and Crystal Glass and it has been carved with a recess where the Chestnut timber rests permanently. The Stone sits upon a glass pillow sewn with gold thread, its function is not purely ornamental as it protects against indentations and scratches caused by the Swaledale Stone on the surface where the sculpture resides over time.