ARTWORK DETAILS
David Aston
Pergamon III (for Marchmont House)
Vintage glass bottle, antique found artefacts, soil, moss, yew sapling, metal, oak, time
137 H x 58 W x 58 D CM
20 July 2023
FURTHER DETAILS
In 2023 I was awarded a residency by Marchmont Makers Foundation in partnership with the Royal Society of Sculptors to undertake a period of research and create a site-specific Pergamon III for the walled garden at Marchmont House.
I was inspired by Marchmont’s restored Victorian glass houses, which are wonderful embodiment of the owners passion for art, architecture, antiques and nature, all in the belly of a beautiful glass structure. A structure which itself sits within a stunning 18th century walled garden and within the grounds of a much larger sculpture garden. I wanted to encapsulate this idea of a curation under glass, a garden within a garden and a sculpture within a much larger idea of sculpted landscape.
So for Pergamon III I chose a large reclaimed glass bottle. The kind used to create tiny indoor gardens (terrariums) since the 1950s, and themselves a revival of the wardian cases of the 1850s, which filled Victorian greenhouses with exotic plants from all around the world.
The bottle is filled with layers of Marchmont red sandstone soil and the stratigraphy of the gardens and estate. The 18th, 19th and 20th century pottery, glass and fragments found during the first week exploring the history of the site. These have been set down in layers in approximate date order and covered in the mosses and lichens from the forest to create a mound, one of many in the grounds and gardens. On top of the mound I planted a single yew tree. I chose yew for it’s longevity and ability to recreate. Yews can live many thousand years but are slow growing, so sealed within the bottle with its Marchmont Oak stopper (thank you Sam), it will, over time, grow into a bonsai within a forest of moss.
The mound is surrounded by a ring of iPhones. This bring us into the 21th century and into Hugo’s digital world. Unlike Pergamon I, these iPhones have been deconstructed and their fragmentary parts are purposefully planted in the archaic form of a henge encircling the mound.
Pergamon III is an embodiment of Marchmont’s past, present, future, and art, nature and technology sealed within the protected micro climate of a glass sculpture. It stands alongside and reflects images of the Victorian glass houses which inspired it and within the sanctuary of Marchmont’s walled sculpture garden. A beautifully conceived, highly curated and constantly evolving landscape and sanctuary for art, makers, and those who love history.
The residency took place in July 2023 and Pergamon III was installed on 20 July 2023. As with all Pergamon it will be regularly photographed to record the growth and decay.
Thank you to everyone at Marchmont for their warm welcome and the opportunity to spend time in such a beautiful and inspiring place. I look forward to returning soon.
COLLECTION
Pergamon III is a site-specific work installed in the walled garden of Marchmont House and is now part of the Hugo Burge collection.
FURTHER READING
To find out more about the Marchmont’s makers and creators go to: https: www.marchmonthouse.com/creative-spaces