The tension between the natural environment and man-made interventions inspired landscape designer Xanthe White’s Impermanence sculpture, part of the 2015 Taranaki Garden Spectacular.

This is White’s first sculptural installation, although she’s explored the theme of transition previously. She explains: “I’ve found that, in my work, I’m often trying to capture the point where nature begins to take over. Working in the landscape, with natural growing things – everything begins to change the moment you put it in. Architecture represents control, while the natural world pushes and pulls against it.”

Impermanence is comprised of three boxes of CorTen steel, 1.5-metres square and 3 metres long. A variety of coastal natives, including toitoi, hebes and carex, spill over and out of mesh inserts.

White muses: “As we were putting the plants in, I thought ‘some of these might die, some will flourish, and wind and the birds might drop other seeds here that I never intended to be part of this. Even the metal – being corroded by the sea air, right now – will become something else. We think it’s permanent, but it’s not… ’”

Although the annual New Plymouth-based festival focuses primarily on traditional planted gardens, for many years there has been a landscape design installation that’s free for the public to view.

Festival manager Lisa Ekdahl says: “The sculpture project has been integral to the event because it gives local audiences a chance to experience work from a landscape artist or designer that they would not normally get to see. ”

Impermanence was placed near the Belt Road entrance to the Coastal Walkway. White notes that the theme of the sculpture continues to be expressed.

“[The sculpture] is on council land – but the project was funded by the Taranaki Arts Trust, so I’m not really sure who decides what happens now, or if there’s a future plan. I suppose it could be there for years, or it could be gone tomorrow – it might be moved or dismantled. So, the transition continues… ”

For an interview with Xanthe White, see here.