An Enlightened Stand is a site-specific work (ie made for that exact place), appearing amongst the trees like a painting of the shadows cast in the striking sunlight. The lighter, square shape on the ground is similar to the canvas support of a painting. It is as if Urquhart has captured a moment in time almost like a photograph. There is also a seemingly simple underlying geometry suggested in the work.
Donald Urquhart’s work is usually conceptual, meaning that the ideas behind the work are more important than the materials. In this case the shadows run south of each tree, as if the sun was in the north – the opposite of reality. Urquhart is interested in fusing political ideas with a passion for the environment and the use of natural materials that grow and change with the seasons.
In this case, natural light, the strong colour of the trees and the marble-white layer that Urquhart introduces all intermingle. The sensation varies depending on the time of day and the weather conditions.
Donald Urquhart’s artistic practice involves working with the environmental space to create permanent outdoor installations using natural materials to define colours, shapes and forms.
The artist has ‘painted’ an effective visual image of trees casting long shadows. To create the square on the ground he removed 42 tons of earth and replaced it with 30 tons of white Dolomite marble chips.
Image and text source from Education Scotland. Link here to see more images and other artists.
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