Pete Codling Landmarks and Sculpture

A celebration of sunlight

The Sun sculpture is the result of a commission to celebrate Bognor’s claim to the most hours of Sun light in the UK. It is part an arts and regeneration project with Bognor Regis Town Council and Arun District Council and is funded through a grant from Arts Council England.

It is part of a larger public art strategy in Bognor and Arun written by lead artist Gordon Young. The town centre location for the sculpture was created as part of an earlier landscaping of the main shopping area with a radial blue lines and paving detail created for the landmark proposal.

Inspiration for the artwork was taken from historical research on the town, a workshop with pupils from Bognor Regis Community College, Chichester University, a public exhibition, the arts and regeneration steering group and public consultation in the high street. Over twenty maquettes were made for discussion and development of the piece over a two year period.

The twenty five foot sculpture stands on the main pedestrian area and cross roads of the high street. Made from copper, Jesmonite and real gold leaf the large abstract form is suggestive of a figure or bust with the 6 foot wide hemisphere sitting on the shoulders or body. It was the artist’s intention that the piece had a slightly primitive and female presence suggestive of the town’s Anglo Saxon origins.

*Bognor is one of the oldest Saxon sites on record in West Sussex. The town is recorded in AD 680 as Bucgan ora meaning Bucge's shore. Bucge was one of the few Saxon women to have a place named after her. Over the years this Saxon-landing place became a small fishing village, and as with many places the name changed with time. In 1275 it was recorded as Buggenore and in 1405 as Bogenor.

The pagan feel of the piece was important the to artist who saw the connection between the sun worshipping Pagans, Romans and Celts and the contemporary British sea side resort’s reliance on it tourism and sunshine. The use of copper and gold was inspired by this.

The sculpture was hand built by the artist with assistance from a local fine art student at Chichester University and a graduate the University of Portsmouth; Dervis Dervisoglu and Jemma Hardiman. The steel work was fabricated by Swansfield Enginneering in Wickham and installed by Coastal Transport from Havant. The local artist is also from Hayling Island in Havant.

The ground works were done by Bognor Regis Council Town Force and a local Contractor.

(* referenced from the Bognor Regis webring, local history website)