Inventor Tom Lawton launches crowd-funding campaign to install his latest work – Wonder – in Malmesbury Abbey

Wiltshire-based inventor Tom Lawton, founder of Uplifting Products, is launching a crowd-funding campaign on Valentine’s Day to bring to life his latest creation – Wonder – and install it permanently in Malmesbury Abbey.

Wonder is a mesmerising, moving sculpture which rotates, moves and spins and is based upon an ingenious spiralling form created by Tom. A small prototype has been quietly on display in the town during Lockdown 3 to see what Wiltshire residents make of it. To date the response has been very positive. 

Tom conceived the idea of Wonder following the success of his Uplift sculpture and bought it to life during the global pandemic.

“As an artist and inventor, I simply looked to create the most beautiful thing I could imagine. I feel strongly that peace of mind is sacrosanct to our wellbeing and with the constant barrage of negativity we've all experienced over the past year I wanted to find a way of deeply uplifting, relaxing and distracting ourselves from the constant stream of bad news around the pandemic, the monotony of being in lockdown and the unpleasantness of having our movements restricted – and Wonder came to me! 

“It’s resonant of the spiral of our DNA and spirals in nature and is engineered with mathematical precision to have a mesmerising effect. I believe Wonder invites you to pause, step outside of yourself for a moment, breathe and take time to just look at it and enjoy the flow of the sculpture,” Tom said.

The Reverend Oliver Ross from Malmesbury Abbey, was captivated by Wonder. 

“Tom’s wonderful creation echoes DNA and has a sense of infinity, divinity and eternity. The medieval chapel at the Abbey seems the most befitting place for Wonder to find its first ever home and here it will stay for the enjoyment of all,” Revd Ross said. 

If successful it’s hoped Wonder can be opened to the public in May 2021 to celebrate the Christian festivals of Ascension and Pentecost.

The Kickstarter fund aims to raise at least £18,000 to make and install an original Wonder, made using advanced manufacturing and finished in polished gold and set on a moving plinth, which will be donated to the town by Tom in perpetuity. 

If the campaign raises more then Wonder will be re-engineered so that it can be powered by solar energy and made available more widely available.

“I believe in creating beautiful objects which are environmentally responsible and made to last,” Tom said. “Wonder is designed to last for at least 100 years and all of my inventions are intentionally designed to move us away from being a ‘throwaway’ society, harking back to those creations of the past which have stood the test of time. A 12th century Abbey will be the perfect setting.”

Those who wish to invest can do so from as little as £10 which will see their names added to a commemorative brass plaque near the installation evidencing the individuals who contributed. Those who wish to give more can do so and for donations of £300 or more, each investor will be given a limited edition print of the installation and one of Tom’s famous Uplift 2.0 spiral sculptures.

To support this crowd-funding campaign visit www.tomlawton.com/wonder