Peter Shrimpton

Having come from a background in the construction industry, I have long been fascinated by the process of bringing together a range of component parts into an end-product. And this same fascination now carries over into my work as a sculptor in metal, often on a large scale that presents its own challenges: not only the sourcing of materials and their preparation but also the particular issues associated with the display of such sizeable pieces.

In today’s throwaway society there is an abundance of materials, in skips and scrapyards, that can be re-used or engineered into something new. For me the random shapes of scavenged items are often what triggers the final sculptural idea. Another level of idea is the special effect from displaying a piece in an unexpected context, like Mr Whale II hanging from a tree in West Oxfordshire in celebration of the blue moon of October 31st 2020; or Poppy, mounted outside a period cottage for the arresting juxtaposition of a slab of metal and natural stone.

I also encourage people to have physical contact with my creations in the hope of an enlivening experience through the senses:

Touch – the cool, hard feel of metal
Smell – the aroma of worked metal and finishes
Sound – the resonance from a piece being struck by a hand or an object
Sight – the natural patina of metal ageing and discolouring.