Marti Stelling

A new sculpture garden in Leeds will pay homage to the lost streams and becks of Leeds and the legacy of Burmantofts pottery.

Leeds artist Amelia Frances Wood spent two years creating five ceramic sculptures called Forged in The Muddy Beck which will be displayed in a rain courtyard at the Terry Frost Building in Leeds city centre.

Amelia said: “I was inspired by Burmantofts pottery because it’s a huge part of the history of Leeds. I think it’s important to keep that history alive in a contemporary form.”

Burmantofts pottery made vases which were sold in Harrods and Liberty in the late 1800s as well as orange decorative bricks and tiles for Yorkshire College, now the University of Leeds.

Leeds artist, Amelia Frances Wood who has created a series of five ceramic sculptures entitled Forged In The Muddy Beck which sit within a new rain courtyard in The Terry Frost Building, a student building in the Leeds. Photograph by Tony Johnson.

The tiles can be seen across Leeds city centre including the County Arcade in the Victoria Quarter. The exterior walls were built using Burmantofts faience terracotta in the colour butterscotch and red bricks. If you look up inside the arcade you will find the brightly coloured mosaics made with Burmantofts tiles.

Amelia said: “I had a look at all the Burmantofts pottery collections I could find across Leeds and Kirkstall and tried to merge these forms with my own work.

“The great thing about sculptures is people can look at these forms and put their own interpretations on to them.

“I like people to interact with my work and make their own narratives and stories about them.

“I also took inspiration from the lost rivers of Leeds which were once an integral part of the city. I was interested in what stories would be encapsulated in the water. I used clay to reflect the way water distorts and manipulates objects over time with small holes you can look through.”

The river used to power corn mills and supplied water for chemical works and tanneries. Its volume of water has been reduced in recent decades due to improved drainage systems.

The Terry Frost Building, named after British abstract artist Sir Terry Frost, who taught at the Leeds school of Art, was developed by Alumno. The company embed art, poetry and sculpture into the public areas around their student buildings.

Alumno’s CEO David Campbell said: “I’ve got a strong interest in place and place making.

“With each of our properties we try to bring in some local artists and give something back to the local community. Our scheme is all about fostering new talent and we are really pleased to give a young local artist the recognition she deserves.”

A poetry installation from Yorkshire-based poet Zaffar Kunial based on hidden river Sheepscar Beck is also displayed in the building.

The courtyard will open to the public on Wednesday October 9th at 1.30pm at the Terry Frost Building.

This article was published in The Yorkshire Post.