Doug Cocker
b. 1945, Alyth, Perthshire
Angel (1994) Tyrebagger Sculpture Project
About the artist
Doug Cocker grew up in a rural area of central
Scotland. His family comes from a long line of farmers
and blacksmiths. When he was growing up he would
get jobs picking berries and ‘tattie houking’ during his
holidays.
Cocker’s outdoor artworks usually relate to the
landscape they occupy or they might depict something
from the landscape. He studied sculpture at Duncan of
Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee. He became a
full time sculptor in 1990 and he now lives and works
in Aberdeen. His art studio is surrounded by fields and
he sees the activity on the land on a day-to-day basis.
© Doug Cocker
About the work
To the viewer is may not be clear where this artwork begins and ends. A long bent geometric form, made from
metal, is attached to the trunk of a tall tree. The metal material provides an interesting contrast and looks out of
place beside the bark. The title of the work, Angel, adds to the suspense of what the work might be about.
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/marksonthelandscape
Context
Angel is sited in Tyrebagger Woods as part of the Tyrebagger Sculpture Project. Doug Cocker was one of the
original artists to work on the project and he chose to site his work high up in a Douglas Fir tree.
Cocker made Angel as a tribute to writer and playwright Dennis Potter, who he considers to be one of his
heroes. He admired the way the writer took daring risks, challenging conventions and raising social issues that
concerned him. Cocker was influenced by the way Potter combined narrative with powerful images in his work.
Dennis Potter suffered from psoriatic arthropathy, which causes severe pain and swelling in the joints and
surrounding tissue from the age of 26 and he lived with severe pain most of his life. This may have affected the
work he produced.
The idea for Angel came from Cocker’s memory of a scene in Potter’s television series ‘The Singing Detective’
where a boy climbs to the top of a tree and sees the forest and landscape unfold below him. Cocker has
described Angel as a positive symbol for humanity.
Materials and processes
The work is made from shapes of sheet bronze welded together. It is mounted high on the trunk of a tree with
long stainless threaded rods secured on the opposite side of the tree. The piece has minimal intervention with
the landscape. Some viewers miss it completely as it is only 3-4 feet long and you need to look up to see it.
Cocker has deliberately chosen bronze for its association with political or military statues that commemorate
important people – in this case Dennis Potter.
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/marksonthelandscape