Darke, Andrew

Andrew Darke is an artist with an extensive career nationally and internationally. His work spans a number of fields and includes pieces for siting both indoors and outside. Early work was principally wood sculpture, often on a large scale relating to landscape. Recent 3D work is also responsive to the elements, wind and water particularly, and is fired by a passion for the outdoors and wilder places. Photography, video and sound recording works bring outdoor experiences inside for contemplation.

As a founding member of an artists' group (Art & Place) in the early nineties, renamed PLACE in 1995, Darke began work to reduce the impact of infrastructure developments on the environment and also engaged on urban regeneration projects. PLACE's focus in Cardiff Bay was on qualities of the bay which would subsequently be erased by the building of the Cardiff Bay Barrage. Work with the mobile phone industry, the Countryside Agency and the Forestry Commission to reduce the impact of mobile phone masts in the landscape followed and currently PLACE is working as an official consultee for National Grid and is calling for the undergrounding of 400kV and other power lines. These consultations are now changing National Grid’s working practices.

The environmental theme running right through Darke's work is underpinned by the conviction that retaining, and being able to have access to, land which is not dominated by humanity is crucial for the well being of us all and for many other species. He was invited to become a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) in 2008 for his work in arts and environment.

ISAAR(CPF): International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families, International Council on Archives (2nd edition, 2003); Rules for the construction of personal, place and corporate names, National Council on Archives (1997)

https://www.forestofdean-sculpture.org.uk/ retrieved on 13 July 2017