Art, meaning and delivery

Earlier this week, I found myself in front of the Wild Table of Love by Gillie and Marc at Paddington (on the Elizabeth Line side).

Firstly, I want to clarify that I am using this work and studio as one example within a broader industry conversation. I won't comment on the artistic style, as art is deeply personal, and their high demand suggests that their work resonates with many. Instead, I want to focus on two points:

• Whether the sculpture is an effective vehicle for delivering its intended message.
• Whether the message aligns with the materiality used.

This artwork invites passersby to pause, reflect, and sit among a group of endangered species, accompanied by a dogman and rabbit woman, which is Gillie and Marc's signature and ogo. And I did pause and reflect, but not solely about the wildlife depicted. I also wondered wether bronze sculptures, shipped across the globe, are the most appropriate medium to convey such a message.

As I continued reflecting at home, I researched Gillie and Marc’s practice. Their works seem to travel widely, and their website discusses reusing bronze, offsetting carbon and the logistics of shipping rather than flying their large sculptures. Although this is something that it is not always acknowled as part of the design process and our choices can educate clients, visitors, and the public, I also feel that as designers we should constantly revisit our work and explore how to do better.

So, back to the topic: Do I believe these sculptures truly serve their stated purpose (raising awareness about the fragility of wildlife)? They are cute and interactive, making them quite Instagramable. But the jury is put with regards to conveying the intended message as clearly as they might.

What about materiality? I admit I’m unsure of what might have been more appropriate for this type of sculpture.

They say to use recycled metals when possible, a step forward, but for the recycled metal to become a core component rather than a secondary one, either production volumes need to align with material availability, or the design must be streamlined to use less material.

Biodegradable materials could make these works ephemeral , and many artists have embraced this approach (refer to Demian HIrst's "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living " for example) . However, scarcities and ephemerality drive desirability, making such pieces more exclusive and appealing to the top tier rather than accessible a broader art market.

Upcycled materials would require artists to adopt the language of materiality in their artistic approach (Refer to El-Anatsui’s work where he weaves the material’s story into the work as an integral component) This shift might not be straightforward for brands like Gillie and Marc, who operate within a more commercial framework.

And finally, "nature" itself as a material has been explored by prominent artists like Koons with Puppy or Olafur Eliasson’s Ice Watch. These works leverage natural elements to evoke specific messages and maybe, in some ways, they hold a more direct connection to the message of ecological fragility but their ephemeral nature keeps them within the framework of museums and galleries.

So, after all that pondering, i am nowhere near closer to the answer though personally I am always more comfortable listening to a material than starting from nothing.

ps, BTW you can find many other works by Gillie and Marc along Kingston upon Thames until next July.