William Arnold: SEEDHENGE
SEEDHENGE is an ephemeral sun monument constituted of sunflowers grown from cheap birdseed from a popular chain of discount home hardware stores.
In a work that harks back to classic 20th Century land art, in particular Agnes Denes’ Wheatfield, while referencing the prehistoric architecture of the region, a circular plantation of these seeds intended for avian consumption will grow within a round earthwork at Kestle Barton with entrances facing the midsummer sunrise and sunset.
The process of growth will be captured in a long-duration time-lapse and by pinhole ‘solargraph’ cameras at the ordinal points. Birds will be welcome to feast on the harvest.
The project has its origin in William Arnold’s SUNFLOWERS FROM WILKO, a reflection on issues of food security and a response to supply chain problems during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown when conventional seeds for the home gardener became scarce.
Discovering that the birdseed sunflowers had a near 100% germination rate, Arnold and his partner enjoyed a ready supply of microgreens during the early pandemic, while some plants were allowed to reach maturity and complete the loop.
