About Iain
Iain Cheesman is primarily a maker of objects that link sculpture with painting, poetry and the concept of drawing. There is often an underlying sense of humour within his work. This is a medium of communication that delivers more than an initial reaction, where there is often a slow defuse of more serious concerns. The materials he uses are diverse and vary between bodies of work. A commonality of his artworks is that they are made by hand and the mark of the handmade is apparent.
LOCK N LOVE N
Sculpture set in nature to inspire, educate and surprise the viewer, whatever the age is priceless. Art helps us express our emotions, to communicate our thoughts and feelings, to explore the depths of our imaginations. By engaging with art, we can discover more about ourselves, and the world around us.
Andrew Cheeseman’s inspiration for his sculpture came through the COVID 19 lockdown. He was drawn to Jack Lovelock’s astounding 1500m Gold medal victory at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. Mr Cheeseman separated the words Lovelock into the verbs ‘lock’ and ‘love’, which alludes to peoples ability to love one or many – a measure against a difficult world we sometimes find ourselves living within, a global pandemic as example.
The meanings in the words ‘Lock n Love n ‘and the oval encapsulating them inspired by the track Lovelock and other competitors run. Lovelock attended Timaru Boys High School from 1924-1928 and today the school holds a collection of memorabilia, including a living Oak tree presented to him as part of the gold medal ceremony at the Berlin Games.
‘Locking in Love’ can also be shown symbolically, a contemporary example can be witnessed on many bridges or fences around the world, where ’in-love’ couples buy a lock, write there names upon it, lock it to the railing then throw away the key – a symbol of their love and commitment for all to see.
I hope this sculpture lifts your spirts as the artist intended, it is fun, vibrant with colour choices and set in nature perfectly, on the Geraldine Sculpture Trail.
I’d like to acknowledge the generosity of the Aigantighe Art Gallery, Timaru for the loan of this sculpture.
