Tinny Bank

‘Tinny Bank, A74 to M6’, 1994-95. Commissioned by the Scottish Office Roads
Directorate, Dept. of Transportation, UK, to produce concept designs for a 1 mile section of the M6 express Highway linking England to Scotland. The site is situated on a hillside in a dramatic region of Northern England and the artwork’s progressional design reflects the history and geology of the area. A retaining wall is given specialised treatment with bold textured panels and 'Leaning Forms' 28 ft high, in cast concrete. Entry markers are situated at both approaches to the one mile section - at the Southern end, an earthwork delineated with stone walling, 'The Seven Hillocks' and at the North, 'The Standing Forms'. The hillside has been restored to moorland, a sheepfold restored and accentuated with earthforming.

Mound of the Chairn

'Meall a Chairn' , 1988, Glasgow Garden Festival, Glasgow, Scotland, commissioned by the Arts Council of Great Britain and the Henry Moore Foundation. The site-specific installation, (Mound of the Cairn), incorporates an earth mound, a turfed Ziggarat Ramp, 15 trees and five seats. The mound is 8 ft. high x 160 ft. diameter at the base and 80 ft. diameter at the top. The symmetry of the contemplative space is accentuated by the placement of the trees, the circular area on top is used as a performance space. The ramp, 9.6 ft. x 35 ft x 14 to 6 ft. is constructed from stone with an overlay of turf. The five seats, 4 ft. x 3 ft. x 2 ft. stone, turf and wood.

Silurian Cant

'Silurian Cant', 1986, Grizedale Forest Sculptures, Cumbria, England - a site-specific installation consisting of 4 works constructed in drystone walling technique with mounding and turfing; each structure approximately 12 tons of Silurian slate, dimensions of each - 6.5 ft. x 20 ft. x 4.5 ft. Overall area covered 80 ft. x 200 ft.

Vigil

'Vigil', 1986, Grizedale Forest Sculpture Park, a site-specific sculpture installation of three mixed media constructions installed in an avenue of fir trees. Materials: oak, sisal, birch and beech, each structure approximately 19 ft. x 5 ft. x 3 ft. Overall area 14 ft. x 150 ft.

Wake

'Wake', 1983-4 Djerassi Foundation, Woodside, California - three mixed media constructions installed in the redwood forest, materials: sisal, madrone wood, fir, redwood, each structure approximately 16 ft. x 5 ft. x 4 ft.

Short Biography

Artist Statement

Patricia Leighton has been making art in the public realm for over 25 years, creating large-scale permanent commissions worldwide. Many of her projects relate to transportation, and include elements such as: utilizing excess and available soil on site to create large earthwork sculptures, incorporating stone and indigenous materials to relate to the environment, creating feature markers to be viewed from the air, and siting progressive sculptures adjacent to freeways. Patricia views the integration of art and site as a collaborative process. She is able to work in tandem with professionals from diverse fields such as ecology, engineering, architecture, and landscape architecture, and believes working on a diverse creative and problem-solving team is often the core of successful projects. Patricia’s sculptures function on a number of levels, enabling a wide public to relate to the work. Her earthworks and freestanding sculptures reflect the historical and environmental specificity of their setting. Even when seen quickly from a vehicle, they are intended to captivate their audience and instill contemplation. Most recently Patricia collaborated with Del Geist on Barum Stenning in Barnstable, England, and on Passage, at the US Border Station in Roosville, MT.