Centenary Heritage Sculpture Commission
Stainless steel
Approx. height: 7 ft / 2.1 m
Commissioned by RAF Waddington
Created to commemorate the Station’s centenary in 2016
Similar bespoke commissions from £20,000
Commissioned by RAF Waddington to mark the Station’s 100th anniversary, this permanent stainless steel sculpture was designed to celebrate a century of aviation history while creating a distinctive landmark outside Station Headquarters.
Rather than attempting to represent the Station’s entire history literally, the sculpture brings together a series of carefully selected elements with particular significance to RAF Waddington.
At the centre of the composition are two of the aircraft most closely associated with the Station: the Avro Lancaster and Avro Vulcan. Both played important roles in Waddington’s history, from its wartime association with Lancaster operations through to its later role as a major Vulcan base. RAF Waddington confirms that the Station operated the first Avro Lancasters and became home to Vulcan bombers in 1957.
Connecting history, identity and place
The sculpture was also designed to acknowledge the Station’s relationship with the wider Lincoln community.
Details depicting Lincoln Cathedral were incorporated into the stainless steel, creating a visual connection between RAF Waddington and one of Lincolnshire’s most recognisable landmarks.
This combination of aircraft, architecture and contemporary metalwork allows the sculpture to function as more than a commemorative object. It tells a story about heritage, place and organisational identity through a single permanent artwork.
Positioned outside Station Headquarters, the sculpture was intended to create a strong focal point for personnel, visitors and those entering the Station.
At approximately seven feet high, it has sufficient scale to command its setting while the open stainless-steel construction retains a sense of lightness and movement.
“The Lancaster and Vulcan are two iconic aircraft that played an important part in RAF Waddington’s proud history. I am extremely grateful to James Sutton for scuplting such a wonderful piece to celebrate the Station’s 100th Anniversary. Furthermore, the etchings of Lincoln Cathedral pay homage to our close links with the city of Lincoln, which continues to provide excellent support to the Station and its personnel. Positioned outside of Station Headquarters the sculpture will command the attention of all those that pass through the gates of RAF Waddington.”
Group Captain Al Marshall, Station Commander at RAF Waddington
A bespoke sculpture for a significant anniversary
Anniversary commissions offer an opportunity to recognise the history of an organisation without simply creating a traditional monument or plaque.
A sculpture can bring together important moments, people, architecture, products, symbols or achievements and reinterpret them as a contemporary artwork specifically designed for its location.
This makes the approach particularly suitable for:
corporate anniversaries · company headquarters · universities and schools · military and emergency-service organisations · museums and heritage sites · visitor destinations · regeneration projects · donor and legacy commissions
The finished artwork can become both a permanent record of an organisation’s history and a distinctive part of the identity of the site.
From organisational history to sculpture
I work with clients to identify the elements of their story that are most meaningful and consider how these might be translated into sculpture.
That could involve historic imagery, architecture, products, machinery, people, landscapes or symbols associated with the organisation.
The objective is not simply to reproduce those elements in metal, but to develop them into a coherent contemporary artwork capable of standing independently while still retaining a clear connection with the people and place it represents.
Materials, scale and composition can then be developed specifically around the intended site.
Bespoke heritage and corporate commissions
I create site-specific sculpture for businesses, organisations, institutions, private clients and public bodies, from commemorative and heritage projects to major contemporary installations.
Projects can be developed around a significant anniversary, company history, individual achievement, local heritage or the identity of a particular site.
To discuss a bespoke heritage, anniversary or corporate sculpture commission, please contact James Sutton Sculpture.