Johnny Dawes

Untitled Boulder, by British artist John Frankland has caught the imagination of world-renowned climber, Johnny Dawes. Johnny held a series of climbing workshops and discussions at Compton Verney in July.

The five metres high, 100 tonne boulder is the largest piece of stone ever to leave Portland. It was taken from Hanson quarry in Dorset and guided on its 13 hour journey by three police escorts through the English countryside and installed in the beautifully manicured, Capability Brown landscape of Compton Verney, a grade one listed 18th century mansion house in Warwick.

Untitled Boulder crosses the boundaries between architecture, sculpture and climbing and explores the conceptual and physical challenges between these various disciplines.

Johnny was the first to animate the sculpture in his weekend workshops. Ultimately a series of routes will be set on the boulder to encourage visitors to climb it.

Compton Verney is about to embark upon a building programme that will restore and convert the remainder of the derelict mansion house into exhibition and display spaces. It will reopen to the public in 2003. For more info contact Lyndall Phelps at Compton Verney on 01926 645502 Email: lyndallp@comptonverney.org.uk.