Magical Marriage Of Art & Science
Three decades of distinctive design by David Harber
In his own words, “completely broke”, a week away from not being able to pay his rent and with a daughter to look after, David Harber sold an armillary sphere to his very first client – the actor Jeremy Irons. Having made the piece on the steps of his cottage – “much to the annoyance of my neighbour, as it was a very noisy process,” he remembers – when Jeremy asked what he wanted for it, David replied, “two months’ rent”.
Jeremy encouraged self-deprecating David, saying he had something really special and should “run with it”.
Thirty years later, David Harber is a world-famous sculptor and artist, known for his distinctive sculptures, sundials, armillary spheres and water features. A proud two-time recipient of The Queen’s Award For International Trade and a six-time Chelsea Flower Show Sundries Trophy winner, his work graces global private gardens and public spaces.
Inspired by the playful interaction of light and reflection, he describes his creations as “a marriage of art and science”. He uses bronze, brass, stone, copper and stainless steel, incorporating patina and personalised engraving to make each bespoke work a masterpiece.
Raised on the outskirts of London and educated in Devon, David dabbled in thatching, pottery, teaching rockclimbing, and, in Amsterdam, converted a boat into a theatre and music venue, before the day that changed his life.
He spotted an armillary sphere in an antique dealer’s van – and felt an immediate affinity. Fascinated by the mathematics and astronomy behind it, he taught himself how to make one.
In the beginning, David made everything himself, but today he has assembled a talented team with an exceptional breadth of skills, from welding to etching to gold-leafing and more. All works are made to order and handcrafted by David and his team at his Oxfordshire workshop.
“It’s one thing to make a piece that functions,” he says, “but the joy is to make it really beautiful and sculptural. I want to design and create something that’s going to keep its integrity and still convey the same message with the same dignity in 200, 300, 400 years.”
He describes recent work Teardrop Mantle as “an abstract representation of the fragility of nature and our need to protect it”. And of Bite II, to be unveiled at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, he says: “I’m excited by the interplay of spherical and conical surfaces, the textures and tones of each metal contrast in aesthetic harmony.”
Celebrating 30 years in business this year, he says: “It took me a long time to see myself as an artist. Seeing it through to fruition, standing as I envisaged it, as I’d always hoped it could – that for me is a fantastic journey to transcend time.
It’s our legacy.” davidharber.co.uk ►