The Nightingale Sings

Inspired by the Mayfair site, I inevitably became drawn to the song written by Eric Maschwitz/Manning Sherwin in 1939 “A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square”, with it’s strong reference to the place (about the magic of two lovers meeting). I chose to make a sculpture that is made from hand-cut marble linoleum - finely lacerated - draped and folded the material, cutting the feminine lace of the crinoline skirt and sleeve edge with a set of vintage pastry cutters, and choosing two colours to the impression of the couple. I wanted to suggest that glimpses of the memory of the meeting had been preserved, carved reference to an imagined habitat the shy nightingale would sing its song, and the memory of the lovers meeting. The sculpture captures the all-consuming, overwhelming nature of love; the material is sensually inter-twinned.