Lough Boora Parklands

A serpentine of metal, inspired by the industrial heritage of the parklands, skimming along the canal's surface.

Sculpture Concept

sculpture by: Julian Wild

Over the last two years Julian Wild has gleaned pieces of metal scrap from the Bord na Móna workshops in Lough Boora. He sees the process as a kind of archaeology in which each old cog and piece of metal tells part of the story of the sites’ rich industrial heritage.

Welding these scrap pieces of peat wagons and cutting machinery together, the artist has constructed an 18 metre long sculpture in a canal at the parklands.

The concept is that of a disk that appears to bounce over the surface of the canal, like a skimming stone.  This is an imaginative and playful piece which looks like a serpentine form swimming across the surface of the canal.   

This new sculpture is part of a series of works by Julian Wild called “Systems”, which are subsequently numbered, this being number 30 in the series.  Julian began his “System” series in 2003, which has involved working with self contained sculptures, installations, drawings and public art projects.

Development and installations of this piece of work took place over a three week period from August 31st to September 18th 2009 and involved the collaboration and support of a number of groups: Bord na Móna, Sculpture in the Parklands, Offaly County Council, Lough Boora Parklands Group, Coillte and the Arts Council