response noun: an answer or reply, as in words or in some action sculpture which responds to a clients brief for a public space
Unlike sculpture made freely in the studio, those made in response to an external direction present new challenges and opportunities for Newton. Often requested for a specific audience and designed to an imposed philosophical brief, the commissioned work can stretch and test the artist. Sculpture commissions have been the catalyst for the introduction of new materials, such as stone, into Newton’s working processes. Although he carved early pieces in softer sandstone using techniques previously applied to wood, the incorporation of materials such as granite - solid, tactile and embedded with ancient histories - has provided durable solutions for specific projects. Recent collaborations with an artisan stone mason has allowed the hand of the artist to extend into a new dimension. For Newton, commissioned sculpture, whether installed in existing or newly configured environments, presents the clean slate on which to map and reclaim spaces for enhanced human interaction. If successful they grow into community markers and connectors, places to meet, reflect and contemplate the many stories of the past, as well as casting an eye towards the future. Processes are expanded to ensure a thorough understanding of each allocated site. Personal explorations of physical and emotional connections to place provide the raw stimulus for conception and it is the sensitive articulation of these discoveries that direct future interactions.