CAMBRIDGESHIRE.- MOTHER… is an artwork by artists Heather and Ivan Morison of Studio Morison that engages with the connections between the natural world and our mental health. The work is inspired by writer Richard Mabey’s book ‘Nature Cure’, in which he recovers from severe depression through walking, watching and writing about the Eastern region’s beautiful and unexplored landscapes.

It has been commissioned by Cambridgeshire based Wysing Arts Centre as part of the region-wide arts commissioning programme, New Geographies, which aims to bring contemporary art to unexpected places in the East of England. All locations for art works were nominated by members of the public – in this case Wicken Fen suggested for its “sublime peaty landscape”.

MOTHER… is a sculptural structure that has been created specifically for this important area of wild fenland.

‘Such is Studio Morison’s sensitivity to place and materials, the work, with its evocative and timeless shape, sits within the haunting landscape of Wicken Fen as though it had always been there. Tucked away in a remote part of the site, it is the artists’ intention that the work is encountered within the silence of the Fen, offering solace and refuge to those who wish to sit within it – the structure can be entered through three doors around its perimeter. MOTHER… conjures up the ghosts of Fen hayricks, from which it takes its shape, and both takes us back in time to another era when the shape would have been a familiar one to this region whilst also reminding us that in the current present, it is important to find moments of silence and solitude.’ Donna Lynas, Director, Wysing Arts Centre

‘We are delighted that the National Trust’s Wicken Fen Nature Reserve was nominated by the public as a location for an artwork, which resulted in the stunning MOTHER… sculpture. People will be able to connect with this unique and special landscape in a different way, using the structure not only as a place to view the fen, but also as a space to connect with nature on a personal level. We are also looking forward to working with Studio Morison and Wysing Arts to offer new and innovative events that people can enjoy at the pavilion.’ Sarah Smith, General Manager, Fenland.

MOTHER… references local building traditions, materials and architectural vernacular to root the structure in the landscape it is a part of. The form is an interpretation of the remarkable hayricks once found dotting this countryside. The timber used in the framing was felled from the artists own forest and milled by the artists at their workshops. The walls and roof are made from local straw, the thatching of which has been done in the traditional style by a master thatcher whose first job as an apprentice was to thatch a hayrick on this very site. The work, with its deep entranceways, ceiling oculus and high double layered conical ceiling, is an architectural space to enter; re-framing visitors’ experience of the landscape of Wicken Fen, the sky, the light and the materials that surround them.

The vessel like form of the sculpture, alongside its title, connoting universal ideas of protection, nurturing, and birth.

‘The ellipsis after MOTHER… also suggest the omission of a second word to be added by the viewer: MOTHER EARTH connects to ideas of the natural world, it’s supporting qualities, but also our own responsibilities and personal connections to it; MOTHER LAND connects us to the place we belong, within this landscape, within a community, within a country. These are important and powerful ideas by which we define our identities; MOTHER SHIP makes us think of the sculpture as a vessel that might take us places – this could be on an imaginary journey around the solar system; or it could be a journey connecting the past with an imagined future - making the work a time machine of sorts, or it could be a journey within our own minds – a rehabilitative journey from upset to calm. Finally, a key reference for the artists is the song Mother, from IDLES debut 2017 album Brutalism – a song that expresses an anger and frustration at the modern world, and its impact on our individual and family lives.

The sculpture offers a space to reflect on these troubling thoughts as well as an opportunity to perhaps still the mind for a while by focusing on the simple material qualities of the work, and the changing nature of the landscape that surrounds it.’ Ivan Morison, artist

The Morisons, Heather Peak Morison (b. UK, 1973) and Ivan Morison (b. Turkey, 1974) have established an ambitious collaborative practice over the past fifteen years that transcends the divisions between art, architecture and theatre. They are co-directors of STUDIO MORISON, their artist led creative practice which supports and realizes their ideas and the people they work with. Central to their work is the involvement with spaces of human coexistence and with the communities that exist or may exist there. They have often engaged with public space, for example in 2010 with Plaza. Commissioned by Vancouver Art Gallery Offsite this artwork talks about the failure of modern cities to accommodate the needs of all people. Other works, like Sleepers Awake (2014, Museum of Modern Art, Sydney) are transitory works, whose alteration and ephemerality create starting points for open narratives.