Resting Heads

Two large sculptural heads look out over Churchfields Peace Gardens, a quiet and much-loved town centre park. The heads were carved from felled trees collected from throughout the Barnsley borough. It is fitting that the heads now lay resting surrounded by mature trees in a space that was once a cemetery.

The Resting Heads were created as part of a collective totem to the memories of Barnsley’s people that were shared as part of the Routed project.  The wood, used to carve the heads grew and matured over many years, and like the communities and individuals who shared stories as part of this project, their roots are entwined, their colours vibrant and their textures are rich and diverse.

The heads were carved with chainsaws, preserved and then hand embellished with oil sticks.

Photos by Timm Cleasby