Credited with being partly responsible for bringing back the sundial in England, David Harber designs award-winning sculptural garden features that are collected by everyone from Middle Eastern Royals and Stateside billionaire developers to more modest home owners who simply aspire to own a David Harber original. We caught up with him ahead of RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2016
Firstly, can you tell us about your company? How did you start and how has the brand evolved over the years?
My passion for sundials began over 25 years ago. I found – and still find – the combination of science and artistry that goes into the creation of these timepieces fascinating. My ambition from the beginning was to create a brand that was synonymous with quality, creativity and excellence – I wanted people to commission not just a sundial but a David Harber sundial. I’ve been credited with being partly responsible for the renaissance in sundials in England, which is a flattering thought!
Over time my sundial designs became more creative and my repertoire expanded to include outdoor and indoor sculptural designs that were free from the mathematical constraints of latitude and longitude and the requirement of direct sunlight. The company also has international reach – almost half of my client base is now overseas.
What makes you unique?
My pieces are very personal – many are totally bespoke and are often chosen to mark an important life event, so the fact that each piece is built for the long term and can be passed down to the next generation is very appealing. The three-dimensional nature of my exterior sculpture is also key – it becomes a dynamic presence that changes constantly depending on the season and the ambient light. I hope my works are thought provoking – they often aim to evoke enchantment via a kind of sculptural playfulness, as if to invite the viewer to question what they see.
Another unique aspect to my story is my chance discovery, after having made armillary sphere sundials for over a decade, that I am a direct descendent of the famous Elizabethan mathematician and scientific instrument maker John Blagrave. He lived most of his life some 20 miles from my Oxfordshire workshop.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Originally I was inspired by the passage of time and the ensuing movement of shadow, as witnessed by all cultures through millennia. My roots as a sundial maker and an avid watcher of the earth from above as a pilot and navigator led me to consider the daily transformation of the landscape, as affected by the sun’s angle as it races across the heavens. My appreciation of the cosmos also makes the night sky a powerful source of inspiration. An equally important influence is nature, whether it’s the minutiae of molecular form, the arching boughs of a majestic tree or the energy of water.
How do you meet the needs of your clients?
By listening to them, asking the right questions and supporting them through the journey to ensure that we design and develop something that is entirely appropriate and pleasing to them. There are three elements that need to come together in perfect harmony: my creative energy; the client’s personality, desires and tastes; and the location for which the piece is destined.
My works aim to evoke enchantment via a kind of sculptural playfulness, as if to invite the viewer to question what they see
Do you have a typical client?
No! The range is enormous, from Middle Eastern Royals and stateside billionaire developers to modest home owners who have aspired to own a David Harber creation for a long time – sometimes decades.
Do you have a favourite project?
Yes, it would be the time-inspired centrepiece for the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah (scheduled to open in 2017), because it embodies so many of my key principles. It marries art and science, blends old and new, and has an intellectual component that links the notion of space and time with Jeddah’s own cultural, historical and metaphorical ideas.
My design connects Jeddah’s rich history and its promising future by way of a giant pendulum measuring 2.4m. The idea was inspired by Muslim astronomer and mathematician Ibn Yunus, whose meticulous works were ahead of their time and who was reported to have created the first pendulum over 1,000 years ago. The pendulum is the perfect symbol of time and space; its link to the gravitational pull of the earth is proven by its very motion that the earth rotates in space. Its teardrop shape is not only elegant but also creates beguiling optical illusions as its beautifully reflective mirror-polished surface passes through its arc of motion, playfully distorting its surroundings with each swing.
What’s next for 2016?
I have a growing interest in creating work for the public realm. We have carried out more and more commissions of this type in the last few years, and I hope to develop this side of the business further. I love the idea of creating truly relevant pieces of art that can be enjoyed by local communities.
For more information, visit David Harber
Main image: David Harber with this time-inspired pendulum centrepiece for the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah
Visit David Harber on Stand MA431 at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2016
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