Click the images above to see the interiors

Deities at the bottom of the garden is a series of twelve exquisitely made scale models of a typical garden shed, each containing the interior of a different temple or church. Spanning the continents and its faiths, the work takes an objective focus upon the traditions and icons of worship.

The Origins of the work are rooted in the artists experiences of living and working in Istanbul, and his exposure to Middle Eastern miniature paintings and the cities stunning architecture of churches and mosques. The series is also the culmination of three years research and development focused on the nature of obsession; the obsessions manifest in the activities of hobbyists and those within faith, art practice and play.

By drawings parallels and highlighting differences between cultural expression and belief systems, the work seeks to encourage a shared understanding of the human condition and evokes the universality of wonder and spiritual enquiry. Encountered in miniature, the spaces suggest to the viewer new perspectives on the worlds we create, like children playing on a carpet landscape we are confronted by a miniature world and a moment of expansive imagination.

Created at 1:6 scale, Deities at the bottom of the garden explores the nature of making and craft in contemporary art and its obsessive desire to deconstruct and understand an object, both physically and as a cultural sign. Every element of the sheds' interiors and exteriors are lovingly hand made from authentic materials. From the light fittings and brass work to the soft furnishings, rugs and embroideries, each object is reflective of the obsession and care embedded in the faith and its craft, whilst simultaneously reflecting the artists own obsessive need to make.

Deities at the Bottom of the Garden is funded by Arts Council of England and North Lincolnshire Council.

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© Richard Bartle, all rights reserved.