The original beachcomber
17th August 2021
Unique driftwood sculptures by one of Britain’s more eccentric artists are a feature of an extensive collection of art and design to be sold in Salisbury on 25th August.
Brighton born artist, Sid Burnard, started beachcombing long before it was fashionable and used his finds to create unusual and striking sculptures, often in human or animal form. He was a good friend of collectors, Jon and Kate Catleugh, whose collection is being sold at Woolley and Wallis auction house.
“Jon and Kate were keen supporters and friends with all manner of artists and producers,” explained Michael Jeffery of Woolley and Wallis who knew the couple for many years himself. “Their collection is full of beautiful pieces from all areas of the arts, which demonstrate their love of design and industry.”
Many of the 12 sculptures by Sid Burnard are of different bird forms, including the impressive Jabiru which features a fragment of orange buoy as its dominant beak. One, however, has a more personal background as it was made specially by Sid for Kate Catleugh’s three-legged cat, Fidget. Including all the elements of the flotsam and jetsam that makes up Burnard’s work, a dangling toy from a discarded Kinder egg provides the interest for any much-loved feline.
“There is incredible humour included in much of Sid’s work,” explains Michael Jeffery. “He has been something of a waterside womble since his childhood and where many people would just see wood and detritus, his imagination lets him see the potential in what the sea has left behind.”
