Art for Artless Spaces
On 10 March I posted about how not everyone is able to mount artworks in their garden due to a lack of available walls, fences or due to a lack of spare space due to established planting. A third of my garden falls into this category, so whilst I had room for one artwork on a fence line, I also wanted to find a new way to bring artworks into what would otherwise be an ‘artless’ space using temporary structures. Luckily I had a couple of spare pallets available from deliveries and an existing one that I had previously turned into a planter - and all 3 became new backdrops for my artworks.
By being a little creative with these temporary structures, not only have I given the work something sturdy to sit against but I’ve given myself the flexibility to move them around the garden, depending on available space and my planned planting scheme for the year ahead. I can also position them to ensure that I have an artwork in my line of sight from various spaces within the garden and from my kitchen window too. And why not? The same flexibility is available to us with other forms of art like sculptures, glass or metal installations or even kinetic wind sculptures or spinners. It’s a simple way of exploring how photographic imagery might still become part of a garden — even in smaller garden spaces.
What initially began as a practical solution gradually opened up a much broader way of thinking for me about how outdoor artworks might function within garden environments. In some locations, a freestanding artwork can help define a seating area like an artwork on an interior wall might do. In others, the same artwork may work better framed by seasonal climbers on trellis or by a mix of seasonal pots and planting. The options for how artworks can be used in a garden suddenly become more open to the imagination.
Even though these artworks are not formally attached to a wall or fence, I like to think that they bring an element of surprise to my garden. Something unique that people don’t expect to see. A sense of personality if you like - over and above what I might have been able to achieve with planting alone.
Also, this approach opens up new possibilities for those who might have previously felt that their garden was unsuitable for outdoor artworks, for example, gardens with limited free wall or fence space, rental properties, that ‘odd spot or corner’ that you’re not sure what to do with or smaller gardens - they can all still incorporate a touch of visual personality.