Sea Oak Sculpture

‘Sea Oak' sculpture by Yorkshire artist Paul Morrison veiled in Scarborough as part of Wild Eye Coastal Art and Nature Trail.

Made from water-jet cut stainless steel, the newly-commissioned work, entitled Sea Oak, has been installed in Scarborough Harbour, overlooking the North Sea. Created in the shape of Fucus Vesiculosus or Bladderwrack - an ecologically-important seaweed species common to North Yorkshire - the highly-polished structure reflects both the viewer and the ever-changing coastal conditions, celebrating the important role that seaweed plays in contributing to the health of the ocean, whilst inviting audiences to reflect on their own interconnection with the natural world.

Bladderwrack (commonly known as ‘Sea Oak’) seaweed has been chosen due to its essential ecological benefits, such as carbon sequestration, oxygen production, and habitat provision, supporting biodiversity and maintaining marine ecosystem health. Paul Morrison has been commissioned as part of Wild Eye, an ambitious art-nature project by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Scarborough-based art-science organisation Invisible Dust.

The project engages with leading artists to create new works that celebrate North Yorkshire’s amazing wildlife and marine life, while raising awareness of the need to protect both against pollution and climate change. Sea Oak will connect with existing sculptures by Ryan Gander and Juneau Projects at Scarborough Castle and Whitby Harbour, with further artworks from artists Jeremy Deller, Emma Smith and Shezad Dawood & Daisy Hildyard set to complete the art trail between Scarborough and Whitby by 2025.

Artist Paul Morrison said: ”I’m delighted to have been able to create a sculpture for Scarborough Harbour. It’s such an amazing location, where the artwork can reflect the changing conditions of the sea and sky. I knew about the medicinal properties of seaweed and its importance as a habitat for marine life. What I hadn’t realised is just how effective seaweed is as a store for carbon and that it absorbs Co2 more efficiently than trees. The piece will inevitably mean different things to each viewer depending on the person’s experience, memories and associations but I’d be very pleased if one of the things it does is to provide an opportunity for people to pause and consider our interdependence with nature.”

Rachael Bice, Chief Executive Officer, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said: “‘Sea Oak’ brings to the surface the beauty and importance of seaweed to our precious marine environment. Seaweed plays a vital role in creating dynamic underwater habitats for a wide range of species. It also can help us tackle climate change due to its fast growth, power to oxygenate seawater and absorb carbon. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is delighted to be collaborating with Invisible Dust and the local community on ‘Wild Eye’ to bring this sculpture to Scarborough Harbour, as a world-class example of how the arts can engage new audiences with nature.”

Current group participants include members of Scarborough’s Disability Action group, Scarborough Civic Society, Big Ideas by the Sea Festival, Seawatch Foundation/Scarborough Porpoise, Scarborough Sixth Form and College, CU Scarborough and Coast and Vale Community Action.

Wild Eye is funded by the Towns Fund drawn from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities administered through North Yorkshire Council. The project aims to support long‐term sustainable economic growth for Scarborough’s nature-culture tourism market, while supporting reconnection with the environment.

Find out more about Wild Eye’s free engagement events and art launches via www.wildeye.org.uk