Hungerford Arcade dealers have many wonderful, unusual and rare items and The Predator is one of them.
THE PREDATOR
The Predator is a fantastic work of art. The detail and care taken by Jason in sculpting this piece really needs to be seen and it can be in Don Greenslade’s unit 46S here at the Arcade. Don bought this sculpture a few years ago when he was on holiday in Whitby. I remember him bringing it into the Arcade to show us and I can tell you, it caused quite a stir. He could have sold it there and then, but no. He purchased it for himself and took it home where it has stayed until now.
(L-R) Don Greenslade (U46S) with Arcade co-owner Adrian Gilmour
Unfortunately, Don has now had to put The Predator in his unit as he and wife Jane have young grandchildren, one of whom is 6 years old and very curious. So, to avoid mishaps, Don is making this great sacrifice! Read on to find out more about the sculptor, Mark Heppenstall.
Jason Heppenstall was born and brought up in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire on a typical post war council estate, pre- playstation and computer days. When Jason had any free time, he and his friends made straight for the woods, and there they would set about making tree houses and building dams. Kids at one with nature even at a young age, he was always creative. At school he started his love of working with steel; enjoying the metal and woodworking classes more than the academic stuff.
After school Jason took an apprenticeship in sheet metal at a local firm where he learnt his trade and has now been working with steel for almost 30 years. He said that the trade has taught him a lot about how sheet steel behaves, can be manipulated, and how it reacts to different treatments.
Jason started making sculptures as a hobby quite a few years ago, tinkering in the garage with random pieces of scrap, enjoying it more and more, making presents for family and friends.
Jason was invited to take part in an Exhibition in November 2012 with 3 other artists. The exhibition was a great
success and as well as good sales, it led to lots of commissions for me.
Jason was so busy at the start of 2013 that that he took the plunge and became a self-employed, full time artist/sculptor. Leaving a secure long term job was very daunting, but said, “I knew I had to give it my best shot”.
2013 turned out to be a very busy year, full of great opportunities and working alongside some very amazing folk!
“I love looking for items I can use, we live in a disposable age and the things people no longer want become the building blocks of my art. These often include the tools of trades that now seem redundant. To use them to create wonderful sculptures from our industrial past gives me a great sense of wellbeing. Because most of my sculptures are created from the very bedrock of industry which is being forgotten, they mean more to me, particularly as they are grown from the fusion of my art and trade.
The rural environment I was nurtured in really inspires a love of nature, free from the constraints of the rat race we are trapped in!
Combined with my love of art and the desire to use other ‘scrap’ I will endeavour to create sculptures that are appreciated for their aesthetic appeal as well as the fascination aroused from the eclectic components used!”
