Arts and Culture Features

Sculptor Andy Frost has been creating enormous, one-off natural wooden structures which bring art and play together for over 20 years; and has over 200 pieces dotted around the UK.

HMS-Victory Portsmouth Boys School

Andy is a master at working in wood, carving and shaping the material into beautiful sculptural forms. He studied at Coventry Polytechnic which is where he discovered his talent for sculpture:

"When I got there I realised that I couldn't really relate to painting and graphics, and enjoyed making things. I always did as a child; making tree houses and Airfix kits, all the 'boy's toys' stuff!"

"Sculpture allows you to make it up as you go along - and if you have ideas along the way you can change it - so sculpture seemed to fit with my way of thinking."

Andy's work combines sculpture and play

Over the years, Andy developed his skills in the UK and abroad, has artwork in New York's Guggenheim Museum and became the first Henry Moore Foundation and Fellow in sculpture at London's Camberwell School of art since 1986.

He got involved in creating sculptural play pieces in the 1980's when he landed a job working in Grizedale Forest in the Lake District as their sculptor in residence:

"The canvas was thousands of acres of forest. As I walked around the forest it reminded me of being a child, and of playing cowboys and Indians in the woods.

One of Andy's earlier pieces

"It was a north American species of timber so the idea of making North American themed sculptures seemed relevant."

Since then he's produced hundreds of creations including nature-themed seating, quirky outdoor classrooms and play sculptures which are enjoyed by thousands of children all over the UK.

Here in the south you can find his work at a variety of locations including Southampton's Ocean Village, Norden in Dorset, 100 Acre Wood in Wickham, Itchen Valley and Moors Valley Country Park - where his work can be seen on the popular play trail.

His next creepy-crawly creation at the park near Ringwood will be a giant 100 foot by 60 foot cobweb and spider. Andy will be on site at Moors Valley sculpting the bespoke creature from the end of March.