Introducing PETER MANSFIELD

Peter installing his latest carving MY LAND IN THE TREES. Peter says "sometimes I see things in pieces of wood. In this case, it was two slabs of Macrocarpa a friend gave me".

What type of art do you create and what motivates you to make it? For me it's all initially about the idea, where the inspiration comes from in the sleepless hours, sometimes I will see, hear or dream a concept. Often the pieces of wood suggest they are hiding something inside, and it's up to me to uncover it. Then I start planning the best materials, size and who I might want to share the end creation with. Some project ideas need to ferment in my brain for a while, others I just have to build straightaway. I'm not one to draw a deliberate plan on paper in advance, I just let it evolve inside my head as I'm proceeding from one stage to the next.​ What is your artwork exploring, underneath everything? I like to make people think. Usually, it is a play on words which reveals another aspect or viewpoint. The artwork is a communication between me and the viewer, often with multiple levels of interpretation. It's okay if people don't "get it", but great when they do, and it prompts a smile. Hopefully a conversation starts, and we explore, educate and engage.

Why art? Because I eventually learned that if a person has a talent to create, it is incumbent on them to share that talent, and art especially differentiates mankind from the other animals that inhabit the planet. I've been blessed with the DNA of my forefathers who worked with wood and metal, and I know I'm doing what I am obliged to do when I'm working on a piece and do not want to stop. When the talking inside your head says, "I just want to do a bit more". I previously only created for myself, friends, and family. EleGANT © Peter Mansfield 2021. One of his many ANT sculptures of which he has made 12 so far with plans to make a further 100 in this series of works.