Simon Verity
Encyclopedia
Simon Verity is a British sculptor
and master stonecarver
. Much of his work has been garden sculpture. He has works in the private collections of the Prince of Wales, Sir Elton John, and Lord Rothschild.
and through Robert Baker's teaching at Wells Cathedral
.
A 1988 memorial by Verity for the writer Sophie Behrens was the catalyst for the creation of Memorials by Artists - an organization dedicated to the creation of unique memorials.
From 1988 until 1997 Verity worked as Director on the carving of the West Portal of the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York also known as the Portal of Passion. At the start, Verity was assisted by six apprentices. In 1993, Jean-Claude Marchionni, a master stonecarver from France, joined Verity in the project. A procession of 32 matriarchs and patriarchs from the Old and New Testaments were carved from blocks of limestone
already in place.
In 2004 Verity was commissioned to design and build a hand-carved map of the United Kingdom to form the paving for the British Memorial Garden
in New York's Hanover Square. The Garden commemorates the 67 British victims of the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center
. The map features all the counties of Great Britain, as well as the boroughs of London and British Islands and protectorates. The map is carved from grey flagstone
from Caithness
and sandstone
from Moray
, Scotland.
Other works include:
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
and master stonecarver
Carving
- Arts :*Bone carving*Chip carving*Gourd carving or Gourd art*Ice carving or Ice sculpture*Ivory carving*Stone carving**Petroglyph*Vegetable carving*Wood carving- Others :*Data carving and/or file carving, two closely related data recovery techniques...
. Much of his work has been garden sculpture. He has works in the private collections of the Prince of Wales, Sir Elton John, and Lord Rothschild.
Career
Verity received his training through the architectural practice of Oliver HillOliver Hill (architect)
Oliver Hill was an English architect, landscape architect, and garden designer. Oliver Hill was apprenticed to a builder and then to an architect. Oliver Hill's early garden designs were in the Arts and Crafts style but he turned towards modernism in the 1930s, favouring curved lines...
and through Robert Baker's teaching at Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, who lives at the adjacent Bishop's Palace....
.
A 1988 memorial by Verity for the writer Sophie Behrens was the catalyst for the creation of Memorials by Artists - an organization dedicated to the creation of unique memorials.
From 1988 until 1997 Verity worked as Director on the carving of the West Portal of the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York also known as the Portal of Passion. At the start, Verity was assisted by six apprentices. In 1993, Jean-Claude Marchionni, a master stonecarver from France, joined Verity in the project. A procession of 32 matriarchs and patriarchs from the Old and New Testaments were carved from blocks of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
already in place.
In 2004 Verity was commissioned to design and build a hand-carved map of the United Kingdom to form the paving for the British Memorial Garden
British Memorial Garden
The British Garden at Hanover Square is located in Hanover Square in downtown Manhattan. It commemorates the 67 British victims of the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center...
in New York's Hanover Square. The Garden commemorates the 67 British victims of the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
. The map features all the counties of Great Britain, as well as the boroughs of London and British Islands and protectorates. The map is carved from grey flagstone
Flagstone
Flagstone, is a generic flat stone, usually used for paving slabs or walkways, patios, fences and roofing. It may be used for memorials, headstones, facades and other constructions. The name derives from Middle English flagge meaning turf, perhaps from Old Norse flaga meaning slab.Flagstone is a...
from Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
and sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
from Moray
County of Moray
Moray is one of the registration counties of Scotland, bordering Nairnshire to the west, Inverness-shire to the south, and Banffshire to the east...
, Scotland.
Other works include:
- An angel with lute at Exeter CathedralExeter CathedralExeter Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter at Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon in South West England....
. - A seated nude for the National TrustNational Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural BeautyThe National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
at Kiftsgate CourtKiftsgate Court GardensKiftsgate Court Gardens is situated above the village of Mickleton in the county of Gloucestershire, in the far north of the county close to the county border with both Worcestershire and Warwickshire....
. - A fountain at Barnsley HouseBarnsley, GloucestershireBarnsley is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England, north-east of Cirencester. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 162.-History:...
. - A grotto at Leeds CastleLeeds CastleLeeds Castle, southeast of Maidstone, Kent, England, dates back to 1119, though a Saxon fort stood on the same site from the 9th century. The castle is built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len to the east of the village of Leeds....
in Kent. - Lettering for the entrance to the Henry Cole Wing at the Victoria and Albert MuseumVictoria and Albert MuseumThe Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
. - A grotto at Woody House in East HamptonEast Hampton (village), New YorkThe Village of East Hampton is a village in Town of East Hampton, New York. It is located in Suffolk County, on the South Fork of eastern Long Island...
, New York. - Guardian, a folly, in the Chicago Botanic GardenChicago Botanic GardenLocated at 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois, USA, the Chicago Botanic Garden is a living plant museum situated on nine islands featuring 24 display gardens and surrounded by four natural habitats: McDonald Woods, Dixon Prairie, Skokie River Corridor, and Lakes and Shores. The Garden is open...
(1992). - A fountain at the American Academy in RomeAmerican Academy in RomeThe American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo in Rome.- History :In 1893, a group of American architects, painters and sculptors met regularly while planning the fine arts section of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition...
. (1996) - A fountain at The Cathedral Labyrinth, a replica of the Chartres Cathedral labyrinth, at New Harmony, IndianaNew Harmony, IndianaNew Harmony is a historic town on the Wabash River in Harmony Township, Posey County, Indiana, United States. It lies north of Mount Vernon, the county seat. The population was 916 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Evansville metropolitan area. Many of the old Harmonist buildings still stand...
. (1998) - The Gorgeous Mosaic, a sculpture at Bellevue Hospital, NYC. (1991)
External links
- The Portal Project Martha Cooper exhibit of the St John the Divine project.
- The Portal of Paradise City Lore NYC article on Verity's work at St John The Divine (1998)
- Simon Verity's "Seated Nude" at Kiftsgate Court, Cotswolds photos
- Cathedral of St. John the Divine photo of the Portal of Paradise.
- QuickTime panoramic portrait of Simon Verity at work on the paving for the British Memorial Garden. Photographed by Jonathan Greet