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Beetle
by Nicola Hicks
At-Bristol undertook a major Public Art
commissioning programme linking the public open spaces themed around
reflection and exploration. The Public Art complements the rich
architectural heritage of the site and extends the themes of
Explore and the former Wildwalk
by encouraging people to look at the World in a new way. By animating
the public spaces the Public Art helps to create a unique urban space.
One
of the most striking At-Bristol commissions is Beetle
by Nicola Hicks which draws people into Anchor Square as they cross
Pero’s Bridge and come into Harbourside.
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Beetle
has been inspired by the Rhinoceros Beetle - one of the World’s
strongest creatures which can support up to 850 times it’s own weight on
it’s back. However, Hicks’ Beetle
is not simply a reproduction of nature - its awesome presence reflects
the driving force behind all her work - that of exploring the human
consciousness of natural history.
Nicola
Hicks is one of Britain’s most respected sculptors of animals – but
she does not produce simple representations, instead her pieces contain
the power of the beast – belonging to a tradition of animal
representation that stems right back to prehistoric caves. Her magnificent
drawings and sculptures are not cosy or ‘nice’, but have an
extraordinary power and presence, which, as in Beetle makes even the smallest creature something to be in awe of
– feared even, as it lurks by the trees in Anchor Square.
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Nicola
Hicks’ modelled Beetle, like
many of her works, out of plaster and straw, which gives the piece a sense
of immediacy, and a tactile quality which invites interaction from the
viewer. The scale of the piece immediately brings into stark reality why
the Rhinoceros Beetle is so named. It is a magnificent insect - the males
engage in battles over breeding rights, using their jaws or horns to
wrestle the opponent, often piercing each other’s armour in the process.
A life-size model can be seen in Wildwalk.
Born
in London in 1960, Nicola Hicks has pieces in private and public
collections in Britain and America. In response to a question about why
animals are so important to her work she responded: ‘Animals are the
stuff of life. When I make a sculpture it’s done because I have
something to say about my experience. My only experience is living. Maybe
it’s because we are a little less familiar with beasts that I’ve
chosen to use them… The most precious qualities that humans have are the
ones what we share with animals: the qualities we are deeply in touch with
subconsciously and maybe totally out of touch with in our conscious state.
We are all in tune with ourselves and we’re all in tune with every
species living on the planet. including plants. We are all in tune with
the same things. We’re all in tune with survival. Human beings spend a
lot of time denying it and battling with their intellect.’
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