SculthorpeStudios

TRACING SYSTEMS — SCULPTURAL Vertical Installation Study

This is a sole-authored sculptural installation developed at Staunton Country Park.

The work consists of seven torus forms, each constructed by the artist. Each torus corresponds to a distinct real-world system navigated during the development of the wider Tracing Systems project. These systems were encountered, documented and translated into physical form through a process of measurement, handling and construction.

The sculpture reorganises these forms into a vertical configuration, suspended from a denuded tree within the park. The structure extends to approximately 7 metres in height and 2 metres in width, establishing a clear vertical presence within the landscape.

The installation is not static. The suspended torus forms respond to environmental conditions, particularly wind, resulting in continual movement. As the forms shift, they compress and make contact against the vertical trunk, producing a physical interaction between structure and force.

This work presents a direct, physical rendering of lived navigation through multiple external systems. Each torus holds its own internal logic, while the vertical arrangement brings them into proximity, tension and contact.

Development

The installation has been developed through a series of physical tests and maquettes.

  • Reduced-scale torus forms (50cm diameter) were used to test spacing, suspension and binding
  • Rope configurations were trialled to establish stability and movement
  • The tree structure was identified and assessed as the primary support

These stages are documented below as part of the preparation for full-scale installation.

Installation Site

The work is to be installed using an existing denuded tree within the park. The trunk functions as the central vertical element from which the sculpture is suspended.

This choice of site establishes:

  • a fixed vertical reference within a natural environment
  • a direct relationship between constructed form and living landscape
  • exposure to open environmental conditions

Material and Structure

  • Vine material (hand-formed into torus structures)
  • Rope (8mm for testing, scaled for final installation)
  • Suspended construction from existing tree structure

Each torus has been individually constructed and retains variation in density, tension and form.

Scale

  • Height: approximately 7 metres
  • Width: approximately 2 metres
  • Seven discrete torus units

The scale requires the work to be encountered physically, rather than viewed as an object.

Documentation

The images on this page record:

  • site preparation and positioning
  • construction of individual torus forms
  • measurement and scaling tests
  • maquette development

The story so far…. May 2026

As we revisited the site ready for installation we were reminded that this park is a dynamic ecosystem. In what we hoped was a perfect vertical support, others had found it the perfect home for their family – this spring the bees had made the trunk a multi story hive hotel!

We moved on.