Of Torcs and Terrets

Echoes of the Iron Age

Close up of a semi circular, linear sculpture, painted bronze with red detail, on yew plinth.
Close up of a semi circular, linear sculpture, painted bronze with red detail, on yew plinth.
Close up of a semi circular, linear sculpture, painted bronze with yellow detail, on yew plinth.
Close up of a semi circular, linear sculpture, painted bronze with yellow detail, on yew plinth.
A semi circular, linear sculpture, painted bronze with red and yellow details, on yew plinth.
A semi circular, linear sculpture, painted bronze with red and yellow details, on yew plinth.

2024 Air-hardening clay, wire, powdered bronze and acrylic paint on Yew wood plinth

A rather theatrical piece, 'Of Torcs and Terrets' isn't intended as a replica of anything similar but rather, an emotional response to the aura that I perceive around objects belonging to a particularly evocative period of British Celtic history, beginning in approximately 750BC and culminating in the arrival of the Romans in AD43. Enamelled cells, twisted wires, dynamic curves and a spirited, and often powerful air, are some of the hallmarks of such artefacts.

The piece is mounted on Yew wood, a symbol of death and resurrection in Celtic culture.

Between November 2024 and January 2025, 'Torcs and Terrets' was included in three exhibitions at Fox Yard Studio, Stowmarket: ‘Échos’, 'Visions' and 'Small Works'.

Susan J Hart BA(Hons) MA Fine Art Based in North Lincolnshire