Auckland Botanic gardens

Our Holding Ground exhibition of sculpture is running until March 3, 2024. In this article, we get some expert advice on choosing a sculpture for your garden.

When thinking about adding a sculpture to your garden, start with finding a piece of work that sparks an emotional reaction. Then the practical considerations of placement can follow.

Catherine Hamilton, Technical Principal Landscape Architect at WSP and a fellow of the Institute of Landscape Architects says it begins with the heart, not the head.

“Choose something you like,” she says. “Sculpture, like any form of art, is very personal. One is attracted to sculpture for various reasons. It may be that it evokes a memory, a sense of wonder, and elicits a smile. It may be its beauty, oddity, or intrigue that attracts you, holds your attention, and invites contemplation.”

Terry Urbhan, Arts and Culture Project Manager at Auckland Council agrees. “Any art collection is about personal taste and what you like. Does it catch your eye? A lot of people ask if I should buy for investment. I always say buy art that you enjoy for whatever reason because you are the one who has to live with it.”

Once you've connected with a sculpture, it's time to consider how best to integrate it into your garden. Considerations include how the piece is framed by the landscape, its relationship with the sky, water, and land, and how the light falls on it to reveal its form.

“Does it command the space in a way that lures you towards it, for instance, as a distant focal point. Or, is there an opportunity to conceal the work, enhancing the sense of discovery, revelation, and surprise,” says Hamilton.

Whangārei artist Joanna Fieldes says the placement of a sculpture should enhance its presence and maximise its impact. The scale of the sculpture relative to its setting is also crucial.

“For a small work, nest this in a smaller-scaled space. For a larger work, allow it to be appreciated from a long view with plenty of space around it. For kinetic sculpture, amplify the effect of its movement by giving it space and ensuring that the work can be seen from all sides,” says Fieldes.

“Ultimately, selecting a sculpture for your garden may be more a case of the sculpture selecting you," says Hamilton. "Your task will be to take the work and place it in the landscape to the greatest effect. The sculpture will continue to grow on you until you can’t image it not being part of your garden.”

Holding Ground is showing in Auckland Botanic Gardens visitor centre gallery until March 03, 2024 and features beautiful works across a wide range of media from many of Aotearoa's finest artists and practitioners.