THE man responsible for carving the Eden Project's enormous Seed sculpture unveiled his latest creation at a country park in Warwickshire at the weekend.

Peter Randall-Page, who lives and works on Dartmoor, used granite from the same De Lank quarry on Bodmin Moor for Green Fuse, a 20ft tall tapered obelisk weighing some 14 tonnes.

The majestic column, set in the grounds of Ragley Hall, was revealed to the media and public on St Piran's Day, after being made in sections at the artist's studio near Crockernwell and transported to its new home.

The largest and most important commission to date by Jerwood Sculpture Collection, Green Fuse is – like Seed – expected to become a major public attraction. The acquisition marked the tenth anniversary of the Jerwood Sculpture Collection and its fifth year at Ragley.

Peter Randall-Page, whose work is held in public and private collections throughout the world, is particularly interested in nature and natural sciences, his work being influenced by plants, physics and geometry. His latest creation is no exception. Exploring ideas of scale and complexity, it reflects the artist's interest in organic form and its impact on our emotions.

"The overall form of Green Fuse is inspired by the powerful up-thrust of young plants," he explained. "The other influence comes from Indian Hindu architecture. Approaching the sculpture up the long avenue is hopefully akin to the experience of observing a natural object like a seed or cone through increasing magnification. From a distance it will be a clear and strong vertical form framed by trees and outlined against the sky, but on closer inspection its intricacy and subtlety will become apparent."

The sculpture's title is taken from Dylan Thomas's poem, The Force That Through The Green Fuse Drives The Flower.

Ragley is the home of the Marquess and Marchioness of Hertford. Designed by Robert Hooke in 1680, Ragley Hall is one of the earliest of England's great Palladian houses. Green Fuse has been specifically commissioned for the summit of The Avenue, to which the eye is drawn from the house and its formal gardens.

"The original idea came from thinking about shoots and the incredible power required to force them through the earth," he added. "It's a tall piece – six metres in total – made from three sections of De Lank granite. Ragley Hall is an 18th century house with a typical 18th century lay-out, including rides and avenues. What I was aiming to do was to make a contemporary obelisk to stand at the end of one of these rides. I'm not normally keen on making big monuments on the horizon but the landscape of Ragley Hall lends itself to this approach. It's unusual for me to do something quite so formal in the landscape, but this location demands it."

He explained that he began work on Green Fuse in De Lank Quarry itself, using equipment designed specifically for cutting Seed. A series of horizontal and vertical lines were sliced into the stone to form the basic shape and the sections left proud were then cut by hand.

For further information visit: www.jerwoodsculpture.org or www.peterrandall-page.com