WILL NASH

FUTURES PAST 2023

Mild Steel

Futures Past marks the first permanent sculpture in the grounds of the estate. Futures Past has had many lives. This bold and directional sculpture was originally called The Chevron started its journey in 2009 as part of a ‘Building Schools for the Future’ project. Nash was commissioned by Impact Art and West Sussex County Council to develop sculptures and wayfinding signage for two new schools.  The You Are Here project involved working directly with staff and students. Nash developed a scheme based on patterns made up of isosceles triangles, that could be seen from tiny enamel door signs to two large steel Chevron sculptures that stood in front of each school. The smaller sculpture is still installed in front of Southway primary school.

In 2017 The Regis School were having problems with students climbing on the sculpture and their new headmaster decided that the best solution was to remove it. Nash offered it to the Cass Foundation sculpture park, who accepted it into their collection. The Cass Foundation was a pioneering not-for-profit organisation that inspired, enabled and presented the output of some of the most important figures in contemporary sculpture.

In 2017 The Regis School were having problems with students climbing on the sculpture and their new headmaster decided that the best solution was to remove it. Nash offered it to the Cass Foundation sculpture park, who accepted it into their collection. The Cass Foundation was a pioneering not-for-profit organisation that inspired, enabled and presented the output of some of the most important figures in contemporary sculpture.

The Chevron, originally blue and red in colour was painted in two shades of green to reflect the move from an urban environment into a woodland sculpture garden. 

This piece has had multiple lives, different narratives and different purposes depending on its location.  For the latest installation of The Chevron (now, Futures Past) to reflect the passing of time, the sculpture has evolved and was re-named to reflect this. Initially installed in its cloak of green, over the course of Nash’s 2023 exhibition Futures Past, the sculpture was sandblasted to remove the previous layers of paint and give it a new lease of life. As it is left to weather, the raw steel will develop a natural patina of rust as the Future becomes the Past…. 

RETURNING TO ISOSCELES

To coincide with the arrival of Futures Past, Artelium also invited Nash to revisit and re-explore the work he did during the ‘You Are Here’ project back in 2009, with a view to creating new original works for our limited release Artefact wine labels. 

Returning to the isosceles pattern, Nash revised and evolved the idea introducing some additional variations on the triangle. What would happen if it was expanded, layered and rotated?

Discover Will Nash’s Artefact collaboration here.