From Idea To Concept

In conversation with one of the masons from All souls lodge, I commented that the façade of the lodge would be an ideal site for sculpture. A “blank Canvas”, with its niches and pediment, crying out for sculpture in the Greek tradition. I was somewhat surprised, when later, he contacted me to ask what the possibilities for this to happen were. I said that I could do some research, but that I would only be interested in being involved if it was the work of a “world class sculptor”. Bemused he asked if that was possible. I said I would find out.

I gave myself the brief to find an artist that would be interested and capable of a work that would be figurative, contemporary, profound and of great artistic significance. Quite a task, but worth a shot. So much public art today is not of quality, and few sculptors today are capable of significant quality. The subject of the work, we agreed should be Faith, Hope and Charity, with and element of war. This is partly because of the magnificent First World War memorial stained glass window, that was rescued from London, and resides in the lodge.

After much rumination I came to the conclusion that there was only one sculptor that would be capable of such work. Michael Sandle R A. I knew Michael, as we had worked together before, and I think, he is the most important sculptor working today. He happened to have been born in Weymouth and I thought that this might, at least, be the beginning of a conversation. To my amazement he was immediately positive and could see possibilities of the site, and, he was intrigued by the theme and could see that it had possibilities that were interesting. I could see that this project would give him the scope to achieve an important contemporary work, working within the tradition that, I think, he alone in the twenty first century, was capable. His past works have mostly been in the genre of the monumental. Wonderful monuments to war and human endeavour. He set to work to research Weymouth’s war and Free masonry history. All new to him, and after a visit to the town on a dismal, bitterly cold and windswept day to see the building and to meet the Masons, he became totally involved.

The resulting drawings and conception were way beyond my expectations. Here is a proposal that is artistically profound, significant and truly transformative. Weymouth is indeed lucky to have this chance to have an artwork of national importance and civic pride.

Graham Snow.