Andrew Litten 'Listening' Centre Piece of Samaritans' 70th Birthday Chelsea Flower Show Garden

Andrew Litten’s life size bronze sculpture ‘Listening' forms the focal point of The Samaritans’ Listening Garden, supported by Project Giving Back, at this years RHS Chelsea Flower Show, in celebration of the Samaritans' 70th Birthday. 

Litten’s highly emotive piece, sits in a quiet corner of the garden, waiting to hear the thoughts of those who pass through. Andrew’s expressionist style strives to reflect the conflict and vulnerability of human existence. His work draws on the obscure, with his figures often appearing in some form of isolation. However, with Listening, Andrew also wanted the figure to encourage feelings of human connection. 

The garden is inspired by stories of people who found the courage to reach out to Samaritans in their darkest times. Seats positioned throughout the garden remind us that taking time to talk can change our perspective on the world. 

The pathway into the garden appears cracked with deep fissures leading down into blackness and the sound of gushing water. Stepping through the garden, things become calmer and more open, with a collection of Ulmus minor, and a sunken level with a sculptural bench which allows two people to sit, talk, listen, and be heard.

Designed by Gold Medal winning Darren Hawkes, who has recently qualified as a listening volunteer, the garden is a special opportunity to celebrate the charity’s 70 years of supporting people. A remodelled version of Samaritans’ Listening Garden will be permanently relocated at a Samaritans branch. 

Litten states "Darren Hawkes and I live have lived in Fowey in Cornwall for many years and I wanted to meet him, but our paths had not crossed until we were introduced to each other last year. Darren visited my studio and seemed to take particular interest in a small sculpture of a seated figure cast in bronze called ‘Whispering'. I had just finished a clay maquette of another seated figure called ‘Listening'. As I was talking about ‘Listening', I noticed Darren started to smile. He told me he was about begin plans to create ‘The Samaritans' Listening Garden' which would be supported by Project Giving Back for this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.  It was a wonderful moment of serendipity. Darren was looking for a life size bonze to sit in a quiet nurturing area of this Chelsea Garden. 

I made a life size figure with expanding foam, plaster and other materials which allowed easy reshaping over months of change. My initial idea of a passive listening figure was soon lost and I became fixated on the idea that listening is not actually a passive process. To properly listen to someone, they have to feel heard, there has to be engagement, they want to feel understood. This ‘Listening' figure had to feel empathetic and provoke a genuine calm focus, but its surfaces, form and gesture had to feel reactive and responsive, as if in full dialogue. The casting process captured this very well and I'm pleased that the subtlety that I worked so hard on was enhanced and not lost. The finished cast bronze is the best expression of listening that I could create, and to have this placed in such a meaningful context is extremely rewarding."

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