Simon Gudgeon
Leading contemporary sculptor and keen photographer, Simon Gudgeon, photographs his stunning sculptures
Sculptor and keen photographer, Simon Gudgeon, talks about how he shoots his stunning creations.
As an artist and a photographer, I like to combine both mediums within my work and create photographs that resemble paintings. These photos were all taken at Sculpture by the Lakes at Pallington Lakes in Dorset. This has been my home since 2007. Myself and my wife, Monique, have been adding sculptures to since its inception – we now have over 30 sculptures in our 26-acre park and in 2012 we opened to the public.
I walk around the lakes virtually every day, often with my camera in hand – it helps me to see with fresh eyes and notice and appreciate the beauty. I have lived here for 13 years, but I still find this place a source of great joy.
I have actually been taking photos for longer than I’ve been sculpting. I worked as a commercial photographer for a period in my 20s, but didn’t start sculpting until I was 40. I don’t have as much time for
photography as I’d like, but Sculpture by the Lakes lends itself so well to landscape photography that often I can’t resist when I’m walking around the lakes.
I take photographs both for purpose and pleasure. They are a tool which helps me to share the sculpture park and promote my work, but I also love photography and the challenge of trying to illustrate the sculptures.
I find myself perpetually fascinated by the relationship and interaction between the sculpture and its environment. For me outdoor sculpture is an ever-changing event. The different seasons, variable weather, the hours of the day, the varying light highlighting different planes of the sculpture all contribute to how it is seen. It isn’t static
– it becomes part of the environment and changes with it. That symbiosis is something I am always seeking to capture with the camera. It is a joy-filled mission that I fell I’ll, happily, never complete!
They are a tool which helps me to share the sculpture park and promote my work, but I also love photography