Wendy Taylor

Description

The longevity of tortoises gives us an immediate connection with time and the possibility for conjecture on its passing. These mature creatures, giant forms of their species, are linked to the mediaeval legend only by virtue of their names. Wendy Taylor found it difficult to name them, and the association is not literal. The story of Troilus and Cressida has inspired many literary works, including Chaucer in his long poem Troilus and Criseyde in the late fourteenth century and Shakespeare in his play of 1609. Wendy Taylor is perhaps best known for the abstract, lyrical and apposite public sculptures which she has undertaken throughout her career and which grace many town centres and buildings. She also has another side to her work - detailed and anatomically correct drawings and sculptures of animals. Taylor is a Fellow of the Royal Zoological Society, where she does much of her anatomical research for her drawings of animals. Her hallmark is the care and attention to detail with which both strands of her work are realised.

The original concept for the tortoises is that they should be integral to a large sundial. The female would support the gnomon and the male would be placed outside the dial as if to lure her away, indicating the delicate balance in which we all exist. Such tension, and the precarious nature of relationships, is central to all of Taylor's work. The sundial has yet to be made. Each tortoise weighs half a tonne. Troilus is larger than Cressida and differently formed. Both have beautifully observed markings - each scale and gnarled bump is faithfully rendered. The formation of their shells, their scales and feet endorse their different gender. To realise such creatures in bronze, an enduring and ancient material, is to underline their association with time.