Seaton Jurassic sculpture to highlight plight of threatened trees

Seaton Jurassic will be the venue for a new 3.5-metre high sculpture by US-born artist Marcus Vergette.

The sculpture, named 'Chalara Tower', is made from wood salvaged from ash trees which have succumbed to the fungal disease ash dieback. It is estimated that the disease could kill 90% of the UK's ash trees over coming decades.

Seaton Jurassic is run by the conservation charity Devon Wildlife Trust.

Head of visitor centres Richard Drysdale said: "We were delighted to be approached by sculptor Marcus Vergette to display his 'Chalara Tower'.

"The tower has been sculpted using pieces of wood from more than 30 ash trees. The pieces have all been steamed and then bent to shape to create a 3.5-metre tower which in turn supports a bell.

"The tower is really important to us at Devon Wildlife Trust as it symbolises the fight against Chalara, or as it's more commonly known, ash dieback disease."

The Chalara Tower's creator, Marcus Vergette, aged 59, is now based at Highampton, near Hatherleigh. His tower and its bell are to occupy one of Seaton Jurassic's public spaces on the Underfleet and will be free for people to visit.

Marcus, who trained at London's Central School of Art and Design, is best known for his work 'Time and Tide Bells' - a series of bells installed at locations around the UK coast which are rung by the rise and fall of each tide.

The first of these bells was installed at Appledore in North Devon in 2009.

His 'Chalara Tower' touches on loss and recovery, themes that his previous work has also addressed. In 2001 he produced another bell to mark the ending of the foot and mouth crisis, acknowledging the loss felt by rural communities during that terrible disease outbreak.  

Marcus commented: "For me the sculpture is about ash dieback syndrome, the trees, and trying to understand my environment. However, making the tower at this time has made the connection with Covid inescapable.

"Sometimes, in the slow process of peeling the bark off the trees, revealing the effect of the virus, and thinking about what was happening beyond my isolation; the preparing of the timber became a cleansing ritual trying to make some offering to nature, or understand something of the world out there.

"When I designed the tower I wanted the space inside to be comfortably for one, but slightly cramped for two, so the experience of being inside the structure and hearing the bell was private, and not declamatory. However, now we have a whole new idea of personal space and the isolation inside the tower has become a more a fortress of timber where we are isolated."

The 'Chalara Tower' will be open for the public to see from this Friday (October 9) and will remain at Seaton Jurassic until the beginning of November, with the visitor centre also open from 10am to 4pm every day.

The artwork is also set to be the starting point for a series of family-based activities at Seaton Jurassic during the coming half term.

Mr Drysdale explained: "During the school holiday we'll be promoting Devon Wildlife Trust's Saving Devon's Treescapes project. This aims to restore trees lost across Devon to ash dieback.

"Visitors can take part in our 'Treemendous Garden Trail' which will mix clues with outdoor exploration. And, if they pledge to take action for the county's trees, visitors can also collect a free tree sapling to take home and plant." 

People can plan their trip to the attraction by visiting the Seaton Jurassic website.