spencer jenkins
Mediums Used
John Warland works at the forefront of conceptual garden design to produce thought provoking spaces to engage the viewer. Challenging the traditional concept of modern garden form, he provides us with a stimulus to create classically informed spaces “with a twist”.
Spencer Jenkins creates beautiful functional sculptures from woven, carved and steamed wood. Each product is individually designed and handcrafted. “My work evolves from ideas, hints and suggestions I receive from the landscape around me. I enjoy physically transforming the identity of wood, thin, fragile becomes a dense mass, hardwood, reshaped, light and curved.”
“My work is really about form”
Sculptures by spencer jenkins
Credentials
Exhibitions
yes
Awards
Spencer Jenkins was awarded Highly Commended for his RHS Show Feature at BBC Gardeners World Live 2009 Seed Sitting?, which compromises of two giant leaves sculptured into a woven arbour structure accommodating stunning white willow seats.
The tradition of triumphant arches is as old as recorded history. They were particularly popular throughout the Georgian times to the Victorian era, when the town of Windsor would celebrate milestones of the Royal Family with the construction of temporary archways.
This modern floral arch is the brainchild of Andres Try, a local Windsor entrepreneur and Chairman of the Royal Windsor Rose and Horticultural Society and Susann Laughton, co-founder of Plantify, an innovative gardening website and also a member of the Society. Susann, the project manager, selected RHS gold-medal-winning garden designer John Warland to design the arch.
John has chosen traditional, natural materials to be presented in a contemporary and minimalistic way. the concept being that this year is not about opulence but rather about being prudent and at the same time respecting to nature. The team of horticultural artists aim to reflect that in this floral art installation come modern Coronation Arch.
The rest of the team consists of Spencer Jenkins (Willow artist), Rebecca Law (floral designer) and Julia Wylie (planting designer) and they will be working together to create a striking piece of natural architecture that will frame the castle view.
the key element of the installation will be six large archways woven from willow, each representing a decade of The Queen`s reign, spanning the size of The Long Walk for the public to walk through.
The castle gate will be lined with six willow crowns, three either side, each holding a native Elm tree and surrounded with native flowers of the season, supplied by Plantify. the trees are a new bread of disease resistant Elm, grown by Hilliers Tree Nursery, which will eventually be relocated to local schools, parks and businesses.
The historic stone columns of the gate will be covered in Her Majesty`s favourite flowers: four thousand fresh roses. Residents of Berkshire will be invited to provide their own home-grown roses to be used, allowing then to truly play a part in this historic celebration.
All proceeds of this project will be going towards the Coronation Legacy Fund which is a bursary to sponsor a young, deserving local aspiring gardener through horticultural college every year, for the next 60 years.
The project is being supported by local volunteers and the Berkshire community and has upcoming activities throughout the weeks leading up to the launch of the arch on Saturday 14th September. It is also being supported by a number of organisations, including Centrica, ComXo, Plantify.co.uk, J Rayner and Sons and Berkshire Media Group and brand experience agency ICE. Permission to construct the arch has been kindly given by the The Crown Estate.
About RWRHS
Founded in 1892, The Royal Windsor Rose and Horticultural Society (RWRHS) is one the oldest local organisations in Windsor and have been honoured with the patronage of five sovereigns; Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. The society is aimed at all ages in the community and is all about providing entertainment, edification and competitions. The RWRHS summer show was established well before Chelsea and Hampton Court and was once one of the most important Flower Shows in Britain.
