Research

Published: 21.02.08

Sculptures and monuments across Sussex are being recorded and archived as part of a national project. A database already contains detailed surveys of over 200 pieces of art and it is estimated that over 600 will be surveyed by the end of the project in 18 months time.

The joint initiative between the university and the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA) will eventually contribute to the Sussex volume of the Liverpool University Press series 'Public Sculpture of Britain'.

The information on the database is already proving useful to local historians, researchers and postgraduate students. In addition to the data, a large image archive is being compiled. This is particularly important when pieces are so frequently under threat from vandalism, theft or just general neglect.

The university was selected to become the Regional Archive Centre for Sussex and the project team, Peter Seddon, Jill Seddon and Anthony McIntosh have been commended by the PMSA at national level for the exceptional progress made already with the surveying, recording and dissemination of the information.

The team held its first symposium which provided an opportunity to learn more about the project and also to hear a diverse range of speakers. Catherine Moriarty, principal research fellow at the university, presented a paper focusing on Newbury Trent and the Memorial to Edward VII (the Peace Statue); Peter Seddon spoke about the changing relationships between communities and public monuments and sculptures; Jill Seddon explored the Worthing pieces by Laurence Bradshaw, the sculptor of the Karl Marx monument in Highgate Cemetery and Anthony McIntosh gave a presentation focusing on some of the 'lost', obscure and neglected pieces in Brighton and Hastings. Delegates also explored the database in detail and looked at the way the data might be used.

The day concluded with a presentation by Peter Webster, the sculptor of the Steve Ovett statue (pictured above) which was recently stolen from Preston Park. This piece had a historical connection with the university. In August 1987 the gallery hosted an exhibition about the development of the work. At the symposium, Peter displayed several artefacts from that exhibition, the statue's leg (the only significant piece of the statue that has been recovered) and personal items given to the sculptor by Steve Ovett including some running shoes.

This March, the project team are presenting papers at the international conference of the Social History Society in Rotterdam. The project website will soon be accessible through the university's Centre for Research & Development (CRD) website. For further information about the project, please contact Anthony McIntosh on a.mcintosh@brighton.ac.uk.