Gallery
Seating
The chairs presently situated in the Scarborough
Art Gallery were specially commission for this space. The Friends of Scarborough
Art Gallery had identified a need for some permanent seating in the gallery.
The whole process of finding, funding and more importantly finding a designer/
maker who could fulfil the design brief took two years in total. The Regional
Arts board and the Arts Council were approached for help. In November of 2001,Angus
Ross was selected after a national
advertisement had been placed in specialist publications. Angus Ross the
selected designer/ maker had visited the gallery and spent a few days here in
Scarborough interpret his eventual design. The final design being produced in a
prototype before final production was to commence. The chairs are made from
British Ash, with brushed stainless steel curved legs supports and arm supports.
The back rest being held apart by individual Perspex spheres. Each chair is self
supporting and individual , yet can be combined to create different shaped
seating options, from full circle (4 chairs) to the long wave (8 chairs). The
distinctive shape being influenced by the curved architecture evident in the
façade of the Grand Hotel, or the arches under both Valley Bridge and Spa
Bridge. The slats are reminiscent of the wooden seats in the cliff lifts, or the
stanchions that support the piers in the harbour. The perspex spheres reflect
the twinkling light that can be seen everyday as the sun glistens on the sea, or
at night, in the reflections in the sea. The seat when viewed in profile
undulates to accommodate a softer seating position and reflects the undulations
in the sea. These chairs were designed with Scarborough Art Gallery and the
environment that it exists in, they compliment the architecture of the building
itself, whilst still being contemporary, practicable and sturdy .These chairs
and benches were presented to Scarborough Art Gallery in April of 2002. by our
Patron Lord Crathorne. Below you will find some images of the chairs with brief
descriptions.
Angus Ross / Designer /Maker can be found at
www.Angusross.co.uk
Click on an image to see a
larger picture.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1st full scale mock up of the finished design |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Project coordinator Allison Sharpe with the designer Angus Ross in his Oxford workshop. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The planks of wood which would eventually become the seating. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The first maquette made to illustrate the design of the future chairs. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Childrens bench, seating for four. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deatil of childrens bench seat. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Double chairs lined up in the gallery. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Six seats in a straight line in the long gallery. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Two seats in the foreground with the maker Angus Ross in the background. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lord Crathorne seated below a rather nice Eric Ravilious painting in the Scarborough Art Gallery Collection. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The curator of Art Lara Goodband samples the buffet. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Members of the Friends and council officals at the presentation of the chairs. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The offical handing over of the chairs by Lord Crathorne to the Lady Mayoress of Scarborough. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Some found it a little hard to stay awake. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All photographs copyright of Michael Atkin
