Map Ref. 20. The upper marsh pond in the Summer Garden, near the Mirrabook Restaurant.
The Gallery commissioned Robert Klippel to make this work in 1980, after a previous attempt in 1974 had fallen through. Klippel originally envisaged casting the works from large scale plaster moulds and built special drains to facilitate this process. However, when he began to work, he recalled a selection of discarded, wooden patterns for machine parts which he used instead. In an interview with Tim Fisher, Klippel said,
"Before I knew what was happening, I was bringing in the patterns, like magnetic forces at work. I found myself with eight pieces under way at once, and in great speed, things went quick, quick, bang, bang, spot on, without hesitation, and they all started to come together in one piece."
In spite of being made from recognisable machine parts, such as cogs and wheels, the figures seem almost human. It is as if all of the sculptures, bound together by the spirit in which they were made, were standing like a council of philosophers, meditating in the cool pond.
The scupltures were cast in bronze and installed in the upper marsh pond, under the supervision of the sculptor. In this pond, they have acquired the natural patina of weathered bronze. The pond is cleaned when the reeds and other aquatic plants grow too high.
© 1995 Jane M Hyden
