Steve Dilworth, Lapwing, 2017. Dunite, lapwing, and copper wire. Unique, 7″ X 18″ X 7″. Image and details courtesy of Pangolin London.
Sculptor Steve Dilworth lives on the secluded Isle of Harris on the West Coast of Scotland. Known for his work in stone, wood, bronze, and bone, he is influenced by the beauty of the landscape and nature that surrounds him.
He aims to explore our deepest connections with the land and to folkloric myths. Dilworth incorporates items found within his environment – rocks, feathers, and even creatures that have been brought into a second life as subjects of his artwork.
A photo of Isle Harris captured by Steve Dilworth. A walk through the undisturbed terrain or along the sandy shores would undoubtedly produce objects to be included in Dilworth’s artwork. Image courtesy of Art Events.
He is best known for his sculptures of natural subjects, particularly those that encapsulate once living material. His latest exhibition Off The Rock deeply explored the natural cycles of life, death, and the renewal process of nature.
Steve Dilworth, Three Herons, 2003. Heron, dunite, fishing hooks, swivels, and gold leaf. Unqiue, 27 1/2″ H. Image and details courtesy of Pangolin London.
With Three Herons Dilworth breathed a new purpose and appreciation into this sculpture. The three herons, all authentic, met their demise at a nearby fish farm. Dilworth “resurrected” the herons and placed them in an artistic composition.
Steve Dilworth, Calm Water 1 and 2, 2017. Harris stone, Jesmonite, and Phial of Minch Water. Unique, 2″ X 5″ X 5″. Image and details courtesy of Pangolin London.
When considering and creating, Dilworth pays tribute to his personal connections to the objects found and to the objects themselves. Additionally he pays equal attention to concept and craft, creating complete objects from the inside out.
He believes that viewers should experience the objects with all of our senses, not just visually. Dilworth’s artwork in Off The Rock especially calls on the imagination to help tell the story of his work on view. In Calm Water 1 and 2, Dilworth evokes the solitary act of skipping stones along the calm waters to create ripples across the surface.
Steve Dilworth, Giant’s Rattle, 2017. Douglas fir, rope, iron and Jacks. Unique, 27 1/2″ X 27″ X 27″. Image and details courtesy of Pangolin London.
Another pastime of Dilworth’s is weaving folklore and myth into his creations. Giant’s Rattle, epic in scale and appropriately named, immediately conjures within the imagination an image of giant tossing this sturdy object as he lumbers through the Scottish countryside.
Off The Rock closed at the end of September with great success. Steve Dilworth’s desire to connect with his habitat and to transform objects has successfully elevated interest in his artwork among shamanic cultures. However, throughout all of his creations Dilworth only seeks to retrieve the moment of understanding and rediscover connections.
Many of Steve Dilworth’s artworks belong in permanent collections such as the Scottish Arts Council Collection and the Knox Collection in Suffolk.
Steve Dilworth, Venus Stone, 2007. 95″ H X 126″ W X 47″ D. Details courtesy of the Cass Sculpture Foundation. Image courtesy of Pinterest.
Public sculptures include Venus Stone and Claw at Goodwood Park. These enormous sculptures completed in China black granite are evocative of Barbara Hepworth’s wonderous marble sculptures.
To learn more about Steve Dilworth, we encourage you to view this short film:
A short film about sculptor Steve Dilworth directed by Paul Cox. Thanks to Richard Stonor, Iain Sinclair, Robert Macfarlane, Beka Globe, Jack Cox, Christopher Hunter, Mike Sanders and the Pangolin Foundry for their help in making this film. Film courtesy of Vimeo.