04.11.2023—
St Raphael's Edible Garden, 162 Pitfield Way, London, NW10 0PW
With Us All is a permanent artwork by artist, writer and gardener Sean Roy Parker. It was commissioned by Metroland Cultures for the 2022 Brent Biennial, in partnership with Sufra Food Bank & Kitchen.
After a year of community involvement and practical collaboration, the artist has created a glasshouse, the structure and interiors of which are made almost entirely from recycled materials, making use of post-consumer waste. These include sash windows from a glazier in nearby Park Royal, tools donated by St Raphael's estate residents and wood offcuts scavenged from the garden. It acts as a toolbox containing devices for looking, listening, smelling, touching and tasting; prompts to help dig into the garden in different ways, healing balms and herbal teas made from plants growing on site, binoculars, tape recordings, books, loupes and microscopes.
The glasshouse is a space to look into, out from or within oneself, prompting its visitors to consider their position and function within a delicately balanced web. It offers many ways to investigate different aspects of the garden, from the sensitive planting schedule and the fungal soil network underfoot, to the roaring North Circular nearby and the busy flying routes overhead. It acts as a kind of lens itself, refracting the morning sunlight like a giant prism and amplifying the sound of rain.
'WITH US ALL',
SEAN ROY PARKER