Forging a Path - Giles' Story
Giles Rayner has been creating private and public water
sculptures since first experimenting with metalwork in his
father’s workshop as a young man. In 2002, Giles completed a BA honours in Fine Art Sculpture at Kingston University, after which he began working to commission on a regular basis.
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Initially, his artistic recognition and commercial success was
found mostly within the UK, but his influence is increasingly
international, with designs now located in Europe,
the Middle East, the US and Asia. His work is highly
collectable, ranging from historic rural gardens through to large scale public projects. Giles regularly appears at the Chelsea Flower Show, hosted by the Royal Horticultural Society.
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Though other materials feature, Giles Rayner specialises in using copper, stainless steel and bronze, often at a significant scale, to create imaginative and highly individual Water Sculpture designs. These water features are a perfect example of combining energy and intrigue, with simple aesthetic beauty. The use of moving water in so many of his concepts, empowers each design with real life to capture the senses, either in dramatic or conversely peaceful fashion. All work is underscored by the intention to fit timelessly with the surrounding landscape and architecture.
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In technical terms, the designs combine old skills and new innovative thinking. This produces sometimes challenging ‘organic’ patterns of energy, or precise and innovative pieces of work that, until recently, would not have been possible. These water artworks are created to stand the test of time in both aesthetic and physical terms. Around the world, they can be seen working harmoniously in a host of different backdrops, ranging from rural historical gardens through to modern city landscapes and from dramatic mountainous scenery to cutting- edge landscape design.
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Most water sculptures are individual commissions, but limited editions or variations on some of the existing designs can be made. Giles Rayner is passionate about creating designs that are integral to their setting and travels both nationally and internationally in order to install pieces and to study sites for new concepts.
The Workshop
Nestled in the heart of Cotswold farmland,
Giles' workshop is a place where innovation and
beauty are born.
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Working with his trusted team, Giles begins with initial sketches that are then developed into small scale samples. Using his intuitive understanding of materials he explores new methods of manipulating and shaping, allowing the properties of the individual
metals to guide him.
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Once a final design has been agreed with a client, Giles works with the best engineers to plan the large scale finished sculpture. His ambitious ideas and aesthetic eye mean that many sculptures go through several stages of high end technological refinement before a finished plan is reached.
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He finds the physical act of building important, and undertakes the most complex metalwork personally. The end results are timeless expressions of the union of elements.
Giles is honoured to have worked with..
