Student Sculpture Adorns School Lawn

L5th student Charlie Johnson, studying for her Art GCSE, stands next to her magnificent oak horse, created this year and now on display opposite the Emms Centre. Influenced by artists such as Deborah Butterfield and Heather Jansch, Charlie was able to take her passion for horses (she is in the School riding team) and develop her work in our sculpture studio. A neighbour’s girdling of an old oak tree provided her with materials. Every branch had to be whittled individually before being carefully constructed into the structure of the horse.

Studying the anatomy of horses she went to great lengths to ensure it was as realistic as possible and even practised by painting a skeleton onto her own horse before she started to build this sculpture.

Of her own work Charlie says: “the idea was to give the viewer an insight into how I feel connected to horses. The strong interlocking branches hint at a flow of energy which reflects the powerful yet gentle nature of horses. I hope the viewer may participate in my world by making their own connections to the piece.”