Artist Abigail Reynolds has been working with members of the local community and two scientists; Dr Samantha Gibbs, a micropalentologist from the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton and a mathematician from the University of Surrey, and Dr Bjorn Stanstede to create an artwork that unlocks the story of the Jurassic Coast, England's only natural World Heritage Site.

Abigail describes the work that goes on display at Durlston Castle from 12^th July 2007: ‘This is a mountainous extinction graph. The landscape is essentially fragile and unstable, shaped by a range of environmental factors changing over the millennia, and now more rapidly shifting. This new sculptural work calls for a radical revision of how we understand the landscape in the wake of debates on climate change. The use of recycled materials for the sculpture reminds us that whole landscapes are now created by human intervention.'

The twelve-metre-long sculpture, built entirely from recycled materials, describes the changes in biodiversity though the Jurassic period as it can be experienced along the Jurassic Coast from Swanage to Lulworth.

Cleo Evans, Dorset County Council Visual Arts Officer, who initiated this major collaborative arts project comments;   "The common perception is that artists and scientists have completely different interests and ways of working, and look for different outcomes in their work. ShapeShift challenges this, suggesting that each of the three professionals involved are explorers, moving towards an understanding of processes and patterns to produce a researched outcome. By working collaboratively and sharing their individual skills and perspectives they have produced a scientifically verified and unified outcome". 

A ‘blog' at http://durlstonshapeshift.blogspot.com details the team's research process. 

‘With the redevelopment of Durlston Castle we are intending that important artist and scientist collaborations will become a regular part of the innovative and changing programme at Durlston' Hamish Murray, Head Ranger at Durlston Country Park.

The project has been funded by Arts Council England (South West), Dorset AONB Sustainable Development Fund, the Fine Family Foundation and the Jurassic Coast Trust.