Wrexham Wire competition winner to fuse art and physics at Wire 2020
Alongside a selection of its range of premium wire and specialist coatings, Wrexham Wire will feature a wire model of Wales featuring the country’s geographical, industrial and architectural highlights on the company’s stand (Hall 9, E33) at Wire 2020.
It will be created by Wrexham Glyndwr University Applied Art student Louise Cunningham. Louise was selected as the winning entrant in a competition initiated by Wrexham Wire and carried out in partnership with Wrexham Glyndwr University, which asked arts students to design and construct a sculpture based on the theme of Wrexham and North Wales.
In her winning submission, Louise proposed an outline map of Wales that contains mountains, roads, and other features – all of which will be modelled from wire, and some of which move or are illuminated using magnetic forces and electrical power.
Wrexham Wire’s operations director Jonathan Chappell said: “We were extremely impressed by the high level of entries to this competition and it was tough to decide who to choose as the winner. In the end it was Louise’s very innovative take on our environs and how this could be represented in wire and integrated with light and movement that made her entry stand out.”
With the support of lecturers at the university and Wrexham Wire, Louise will progress her concept proposal to a fully formed sculpture to be unveiled at Wire 2020 and displayed afterwards at Wrexham Wire’s factory.
Wrexham Glyndwr University Applied Art programme leader Cerys Alonso said: “We’re delighted that Louise will be working with Wrexham Wire to produce this piece – and that it is set to take centre stage at a key international trade fair. Our course is designed not only to equip students with the high-quality craft skills they need to make work such as this, but also to ensure they have the experience and confidence to work with major companies on key projects.
“By working on a live commission for Wrexham Wire, Louise will not only be getting the chance to showcase her work on the international stage she will have a great addition to her portfolio too.”
Find out more about Wrexham Glyndwr University’s BA (Hons) Applied Art here: https://www.glyndwr.ac.uk/en/Undergraduatecourses/AppliedArts/