The KDDA Winners Award.

KDDA Awards in Production

I have been really drawn to this ragstone as a material for sculpture, especially in the final stages of the polishing process. It has been a very effective method, having the tiles laminated, as it has helped emphasis the diverse colours in the limestone and the geology of the ragstone from within the Gallagher’s Quarry at Hermitage Lane, Maidstone.

The geology of the ‘Hythe Beds’ is so called because they outcrop in the cliffs at Hythe. They run westwards through Kent into Surrey and from the Greensand Ridge. Maidstone and Sevenoaks sit on this Ragstone and the villages of Sutton Valence and Wateringbury are on the top of the ridge, which is where my studio is located. Its named Quarry Farm for that very reason, above the Weald of Kent. 
The Ragstone occurs in bands between 15cm and 60cm thick, alternating with a loose material called Hassock. By mixing the beds from a variety of different blocks,I have attempted to add detail, contrast and texture to each award by simulating the quarry face on a smaller scale.

The form I have chosen for the awards is modeled on the Kentish Oast Cowl. These wonderful white cowl chimneys can be found on oast houses, which dot the landscape of Kent and beyond. These distinctive buildings were originally designed for drying hops as part of the brewing process, but most surviving oast houses have been converted into houses today. Early oast houses were simply adapted barns, but by the early 19th century the distinctive circular buildings with conical roofs were developed in response to the increased demand for beer!

Seven awards have now been created for the different winning categories for the KDDA awards. The dimensions for the carvings have been created using 49 ragstone tiles, which have been laminated together and fixed to an angular base. A further sculpture will be created for the over all winner of the Kent Design Development Awards.