Yorkshire Sculpture Park - by Adam Barclay
Adam Barclay is a Sheffield based photographer and, alongside his wife Katie, co-founder of In-Grid – a contemporary women’s label celebrating minimalist design and British craftsmanship.
In addition to creating quietly refined, beautifully considered images for the brand (which have featured in Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue), Adam runs In-Grid Commissions – a creative collaborations and image making agency for stills and motion. Dedicated to producing work with ingenuity, honesty and proficiency.
We particularly admire the sculptural quality of his studio work so were delighted that Adam suggested taking his camera outside to document a Simple Day at one of our favourite places, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park...
Since returning to Sheffield the Yorkshire Sculpture Park has never been far from our weekend or even weekday plans when we find ourselves - rather satisfyingly - with nothing to do. The 30 minute drive I took from my home in Kelham Island is short enough to never feel like a chore. I arrived as the park was opening (10am) on a stunning and very uncharacteristically warm October morning. I was hoping to find a slight sense of solitude as I arrived but instead I was greeted by a menagerie of school coaches.
As I knew the park well I ignored the visitor centre and began descending down the hill of the shallow valley that makes the immediate view on arrival rather beautiful. As I drew further down the hill the background noise of the car park began to fall away and I was left alone as I ventured towards two of my favourite Henry Moore pieces. It is from this point that I started my loop of the park.
This initial and rather grand entry into the park brings a little context to what you can expect from the 18th Century 500 acre estate that the park is situated in.
The sometimes vast sculptural works are placed rhythmically throughout the park which creates fascinating and contemporary juxtapositions within a landscape that feels on occasions as if it was landscaped by Capability Brown himself.
One of my favourite things about the park is the spacing between works. There are big enough distances between them that allows you too fall into the rhythm of the environment. Whether you are conversing with a friend or as I was, simply walking alone providing a certain escapism. But within a few minutes you are always greeted by a rather unexpected and profound piece. Whether it smacks you in the face like any one of the several the huge Sean Scully works 'Inside Outside' or you stumble across a tactfully hidden Andy Goldsworthy sculpture.
As a lover of Sculpture and the profound affect it can have on a willing viewer I decided to only photograph details of each piece. This is too allow for a certain amount of surprise and to stoke the fire of expectation. I may have too much reverence towards these works but I think the linear perspective of a camera can never fully do justice to some of these pieces. They must be viewed in person and in all their glory.
Some are so big that they must be viewed in pockets as you walk along their walls/structures. It is this experience and focus on detail that I have decided to record on this simple day.
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The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is at West Bretton, Wakefield WF4 4LG.