Sikkens
Sikkens used in prestigious art project
Sikkens has been used in the creation of a contemporary art work which is on display at one of the UK's most complete historic estates, Cheshire's Tatton Park.
The installation by Fiona Curran, is one of around twenty works of contemporary art in the Tatton Park Biennial 2010 which celebrates artistic experimentation. Entitled This Time Next Year Things Are Going To Be Different, Fiona's wooden sculpture presents visitors with a colourful collapsing house hanging precariously from a tree and will be on display until 26 September.
In order to ensure the project accurately reflected her design and the installation would withstand outdoor exposure for the duration of the exhibition, Fiona teamed up with Manchester based A-Cube Architects to bring the design to life.
With extensive experience of woodcare systems designed to extend and preserve outdoor wood in commercial design, A-Cube Architects recommended Sikkens in order to create a high specification finish that would offer excellent durability.
The colourful appearance was crucial to the concept of the tree house, and as such, it was essential that the coating used was available in a wide range of colours, so as not to compromise the artistic design. A-Cube Architects therefore suggested Sikkens Cetol BL Opaque for its semi-gloss, paint-like finish and the inspirational range of colours available within the range.
Furthermore, certain parts of the design called for the natural aesthetics of the wood to be remain visible, requiring a translucent woodstain. In order to ensure optimum protection, A-Cube Architects specified Sikkens Cetol BL21 Woodstain System, a high performance base stain and finish coating system that offers outstanding water repellence and durability.
Faheem Aftab, A-Cube Architects, comments: "Fiona's design called for a striking finish that would draw the eye of visitors, requiring a coating that offered flexibility in colour. As the exhibition runs from May through to September, it was also essential that the coating would
provide practical benefits and maintain the wood to keep the sculpture looking good throughout.
"Having worked with Sikkens previously, we were confident that the coating would provide Fiona with the high specification and durable finish that she required."
Fiona Curran comments: "The vivid colours were a key part of the concept and design and therefore, the coating that I used played an important part in creating the finished piece. As well as needing a woodstain that would withstand the test of time and whatever weather conditions were thrown at it, I was also looking for a more sustainable alternative to traditional exterior wood finishes. The Sikkens products offer this advantage as the coatings are water-borne."
Both Sikkens Cetol BL21 Woodstain and Sikkens Cetol Opaque coatings are water-borne, offering a more sustainable option to traditional decorative coatings, delivering the same high performance and durability as their solvent-based alternatives.
