New artwork unveiled at Nuffield College
Ceramicist and author Edmund de Waal visited Nuffield College on Monday 18 May to mark the installation of his new works in the recently updated Fellows' Garden and Cox Room.
Edmund spoke to guests at the event about the themes of the piece, 'pausing', space and contemplation, and how they feel especially resonant for the College.
The sculpture in the Fellows' Garden - called 'Wind, Water, Stone' - was made possible by a generous donation from the College's former Art Fellow, Richard Mayou. The artist himself donated a marble bench for the garden and an accompanying ceramics cabinet - a 'vitrine with vessels' called 'For Those Who Live In Cities' - for the adjacent Cox Room.
The artist Edmund de Waal commented:
“The title of this work comes from a beautiful poem by Octavio Paz about the connectedness of the elemental wind, water and stone. The silver inclusion in the nearby bench is about protection, it is a kind of prayer, written, folded and folded again. Read the poem so expertly carved by Gary Breeze and pause for a while. There is no hurry.”
The artworks were added to the Fellows' Garden and the Cox Room as part of their refurbishment during the ground floor work programme recently completed at the College. Both spaces have benefited from a new layout, and new planting has been added to the garden.
The Warden, Julia Black, and the College's current Art Fellow, Andy Thompson, also spoke during the event. As Andy commented:
“This is arguably the most significant single acquisition in the history of the college’s extraordinary art collection. That it was made possible by the generosity of the College’s longest-serving and deeply dedicated Art Fellow, Professor Richard Mayou, makes the acquisition even more special, therefore.
"We look forward to congregating around the fountain, conversing together on the bench, and reflecting on the poignant symbolism of the porcelain vessels, for many years to come.”
Above left, the artist Edmund de Waal and former Art Fellow Richard Mayou pause for a moment to contemplate the new artwork, on the marble bench added to the Fellow's Garden as part of the installation
Above right, Edmund de Waal and Warden, Julia Black address gathered attendees in the Cox Room
Below top, 'Wind, Water, Stone' in the Fellows' Garden, and bottom, 'For Those Who Live In Cities' in the Cox Room. Photos by Sarah Caroline Photography
