Monumental Stainless Steel Bird Sculpture | Bespoke Private Commission
Monumental Stainless Steel Bird Sculpture | Bespoke Private Commission
Stainless steel
[Dimensions]
Created: 2019–2020
Site-specific private commission, Isle of Man
Developed through drawings, maquettes and client consultation
Similar monumental commissions from £50,000
Birds in the Sky is a monumental stainless steel sculpture created as a bespoke commission for a private business collection on the Isle of Man. Developed specifically for its landscape setting, the work translates a personally significant idea into a contemporary sculptural composition.
Inspired by the biblical passage in Genesis describing the skies being filled with birds, the sculpture uses a group of individually formed birds to explore movement, freedom and upward flight.
Rather than illustrating the passage literally, the birds combine to create a sweeping three-dimensional composition. Their relationship changes according to viewpoint, while the reflective stainless steel continually responds to daylight, weather and the surrounding landscape.
The reflective qualities of stainless steel allow the sculpture to respond to its surroundings, picking up changes in daylight, landscape and architecture and giving the work a different character throughout the day.
From initial concept to approved design
An important part of this project was the development process.
The commission began with a series of drawings and initial design ideas, exploring different arrangements, proportions and ways of translating the client's chosen theme into sculpture.
Selected concepts were then developed into physical maquettes, allowing the composition to be considered three-dimensionally before work began at full scale.
These models gave the client a clear understanding of how the finished sculpture might look and provided an opportunity to discuss and refine the design. Feedback was incorporated throughout the process until the final composition was agreed.
Only then did fabrication of the finished stainless steel sculpture begin.
This collaborative approach gives clients involvement in the development of their artwork while allowing the final piece to retain a clear and coherent sculptural identity.
From concept to finished sculpture
The birds are individually formed in stainless steel before being brought together as a larger composition.
Although each bird is a separate object, their positioning creates a shared direction and rhythm. Open space between the forms is as important as the metal itself, helping the composition retain a sense of lightness despite the permanence and strength of the material.
The result is a contemporary sculpture that changes according to where it is viewed from, rather than presenting a single fixed image.
A personal idea transformed into sculpture
Birds in the Sky demonstrates how a commission can begin with something personally significant to the client — a passage of text, belief, memory, natural form or particular idea — and develop into an original artwork.
I work with private collectors, businesses, art consultants, interior designers and organisations to create sculpture specifically for homes, gardens, estates, commercial properties and architectural spaces.
A bespoke commission can begin with a clear idea or simply a conversation about the setting and what the client would like the work to represent. Drawings, visualisations and maquettes can then be used to explore the design before the final piece is created.
I work with private collectors, businesses, architects, art consultants and designers to create significant site-specific sculpture for private estates, corporate landscapes, hospitality destinations and architectural spaces.
Similar monumental commissions currently start from approximately £50,000, with final costs determined by scale, materials, engineering, location and installation.
To discuss a monumental or site-specific sculpture commission, please contact James Sutton Sculpture.