Treasure Trail, Denny, Falkirk, Scotland

Public Sculpture

Joe is able to make a sympathetic sculptural statement for any environment. Whilst often being specific to their site, his sculptures have a universal simplicity in their abstraction, creating a strong sense of reassurance and recognition. He has worked with arts co-ordinators, education officers, planners, engineers and architects and is experienced in making appropriately scaled sculpture, whether large or small, and all the activities involved with this, from design inception through to safe installation.

Recent projects include Storm Cargo that sits in Lerwick’s historic Commercial Street in Shetland as part of the LOCUS Public Art Trail and is broadly inspired by the shape of a guillemot’s egg. Depicting tides, waves, coast and landscape along with ’sixareen’ Shetland boat construction, the egg is sliced open to reveal a core of Shetland shapes – a ‘cargo’ of elements, ancient and modern, that make up Shetland, as brought to Commercial Street over time.

The Denny Treasure Trail is one of 3 permanent public art commissions for the regeneration of Denny town centre. Commissioned by Falkirk Council as part of a £7.6M town centre regeneration programme, and all made in the town, the history of Denny’s people, industry and natural environment is told through a series of small sculptures made in stainless steel, treated oak, cast iron and Cor-ten steel. Chestnut seeds, foundries and mining amongst other stories are subtly blended to create a journey across the new town square and out beyond to the edges of the town.