I have had a busy year working on my latest work of public art for Gargrave to celebrate the return of the Atlantic salmon. Children from Gargrave Primary School, Gargrave Parish Council and Councillor Chris Rose, vice-chair of Craven District Council, joined me along with the Aire Rivers Trust to unveil my latest artwork celebrating the end of the Developing the Natural Aire project, which has seen 60km of river improved for fish including salmon.
The piece was created from polished stainless steel and kilnformed glass. During the design process I worked with local school children, high school students and members of the local community to develop a work of art that celebrated the rivers heritage and residents memories and connections to the river as well as the story of the salmon. The glass depicts images reflecting these memories and stories and forms the bodies of a pair of two meter high salmon leaping their way along the riverbank in Gargrave to the shallow streams where they will lay their eggs.
