Whilst I’m writing down my shoot notes I become aware of a shape in the blur of my peripheral vision. I glimpse upwards and see a carving on top of a bench end. I’ve stumbled upon a sublime depiction of a whale by the Victorian firm Farmer and Brindley. It was part of a late C19th scheme by Sir George Gilbert Scott.
I’m mesmerised by it. The carving is a breathtakingly beautiful, organic embodiment of a whale. The genius lies in the creator’s ability to convey the fluidity and vitality of a living creature within the stillness of wood, capturing the essence of movement and life force in an otherwise lifeless form.
The bench end is richly layered with meaning: as a religious symbol, a nod towards our inherent love of nature, a reminder of the majesty and mystery of the ocean, an emblem of strength and endurance, and a tribute to the artisan’s skill and imagination.
Getting There
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