Diane Maclean

Description

The intense colour of Encampment, a deep shimmering purple, dashed from some points of view with fine lines of red or gold according to the intensity of the light, makes these wigwam forms appear to be reflecting fire.

Tents or tepees are the homes of the nomad. Their empty space and the place that they fill as the nomad's companion designate them as symbols of emptiness. Like any encampment these six tent-like forms are placed in a circle - for safety and for reasons of aesthetic completeness. Their supporting stainless steel poles ensure that the metal 'skins' are held slightly above the ground, giving lightness to their form and the impression that their presence is temporary. These are not spaces that we as viewers may enter, although we may wander amongst them like strangers, excluded from the secrets held within these private places.

At Goodwood this sculpture provides an encounter between nature and high technology, between organic and mineral materials, between the natural and man made. So it is with the traditional accommodation of Indian or Bedouin tribesmen, or as it was for medieval knights preparing for battle, although in some cases their dwellings are disguised within their environment. Encampment has a strong presence, but the reflective surfaces in some lights absorb their surroundings.

Diane Maclean believes that her affinity with natural things is not in conflict with her love of technology. She says, 'As a sculptor, I respond visually to natural phenomena. They are sources for my ideas, which then find their form through the use of industrial or technological materials.'