Andrew Burton

Description

This sculpture was enabled by Sculpture at Goodwood for Bronze: Contemporary British Sculpture, an exhibition in Holland Park organised by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea for their Millennium celebrations. The borough acquired the sculpture so it has never been shown at Goodwood, but it can now be seen in Kensington High Street, London.

The sound of the horn may herald an event or signal warning. Although Annunciation speaks of a new era, introducing itself and the artist's message, it also hints at the passage of time and movement. Burton has achieved this through the introduction of cogs or wheels that carry the two horn-like forms aloft. The cogs and wheels in combination also speak of the clock and the cart. These formal elements have appeared before in Burton's sculptures, but here appear in a new context and in new alignment.

Burton has a passion for India and Indian cultural artefacts, and it is possible to relate Annunciation to the large processional floats used in religious festivals. The gigantic cart-wheels of a float carrying a house in which the priest may sit, when replicated by Burton as cog and millstone, provide endless triggers for speculation and interpretation.

Horns are robust sculptural forms, and have been used by artists from many cultures throughout history. They convey feelings of eminence and loftiness, and their symbolism is one of power. The form of musical horns has clearly been adapted form the horns of animals, which were used in their natural state as instruments of music and communication. Burton also sculpts animals, and horned creatures are part of his sculptural repertoire.

Photograph Nicholas Sinclair