Sculpture and the Land

Peter Randall-Page - Granite Song

In 1989 Common Ground won the first Prudential Award for Visual Arts. The prize money was for a new commission - we decided to ask the sculptor Peter Randall-Page to create a series of sculptures in his own home place (north Devon) which would respond to the locality and reinforce and extend the particularity of the place - as part of our campaign for Local Distinctiveness. At the same time, we commissioned the photographer Chris Chapman to interweave his own art to capture all of the activities involved.

Peter started work in 1990 and slowly, after many discussions and meetings with local people, he completed the sixth and last piece six years later.

This project owes its success not only to Peter Randall-Page's artistic ability, but also to his sensitivity to people and his surroundings.

Writer Marina Warner commented: "The sculptures of Peter Randall-Page, dispersed by him in eloquently selected intervals in the countryside, open up a new story through this ancient custom of treading personal meaning into the earth itself...."

Funding came from the Prudential Insurance plc, Henry Moore Foundation, Elmgrant Trust, South West Arts, Devon County Council, with additional help from Dartmoor National Park, Rural Action, The Elephant Trust, Merrivale Ouarries, The Fleet Air Arm, The National Trust, many local people and Pale Green Press.

A fully-illustrated book, "Granite Song", was published by Devon Books in celebration of this unique collaboration featuring Chris Chapman's photographs alongside essays by Marina Warner (writer, broadcaster, Reith Lecturer); Jane Hayter-Hames (local landholder and writer); Eric Robinson (former President of the Geologists' Association); Sue Clifford and Angela King initiators, founder directors of Common Ground.  You can buy a copy from our PUBLICATIONS PAGES