Artist Steve Messam likes to think big when he's adding his own brand of drama to the landscape. He tells Sarah Willcocks about the creation of his latest work, PaperBridge

It’s all in a day’s work for artist Steve Messam, whether he’s creating a carpet out of 25 thousand glass bottles or filling a beach with hundreds of sandcastles. Best described as an environmental artist, he specialises in site-specific art installations, the bigger the scale, the better.

Working in both rural and urban settings, Steve finds inspiration in the landscape in which he sets his large temporary structures. Historic relics and vacant architecture have been known to provide a context for his works of art. It’s a far cry from a conventional gallery showcase.

Steve thrives on creating work that has a relationship with its surroundings and can’t be shown anywhere else. “The light, the sounds, the history, heritage and culture of the setting all work to create layers of narrative,” he says. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Steve’s latest landscape installation involves making a viable bridge entirely out of sheets of paper. The aptly named PaperBridge will be five metres long and built over a beck at the top of the Grizedale Valley in the Lake District. It’s taken three years to develop the project, a temporary work of art which will exist for little more than a week.

“I had the idea that I wanted to make something architectural out of card or paper,” says Steve. “I was interested to see if I could create something like a bridge so I started small, making models on a more manageable scale. Being an artist is a bit like being a farmer, you have to learn to do everything. So over the years I’ve learnt lots about engineering - it’s been marvellous for my maths.”

More than four tonnes of paper are being used to create PaperBridge. Produced at James Cropper’s Burneside Mill in Cumbria, it’s initially one continuous piece measuring ten miles in length until it is cut into individual sheets. “It’s heavy stuff,” says Steve. “It’s a very strong material, even stronger than oak.” It will take a week to build the bridge and a local farmer will be on hand with his tractor to transport the bundles of paper to the beck. Several students of architecture from Northumbria University will make up Steve’s construction team and a holiday cottage has been rented out for the team during the building phase.

Steve started his working life as a photographer, working in London and Glasgow. Despite earning a living first from photography and then in the art world, Steve trained in neither. “I actually trained as a musician and still play the French horn,” he says. He performs regularly with the Cobweb Orchestra, who also collaborate with Steve when there is a musical aspect to his installations.

One such collaboration will take place for one night only in May. Moved by a desire to bring to life a visual element to music, Steve will be creating a light installation with a suite of music composed specially for the event. Steve’s Underground Orchestra will take place in the York Cold War Bunker as part of a programme of music and light set in underground spaces.

For the past 18 years Steve has worked full-time as an artist and for most of that period he has based himself in remote locations in the North of England. “I’ve lived and worked all over the world, in cities and rural areas,” he says. “It’s one of the perks of the job to be able to live anywhere.” Last year he moved to Teesdale, having lived just over the border in the North West at Stainmore. “I only moved ten miles but the cultural difference in the North-East is huge,” he says. “There’s a much more positive attitude to art and understanding its value. It’s full of opportunities and a great place to live.”

Mostly working to commission, the biggest challenge is the timing of the offers. Steve jokes that he still has moments when he wonders where the next loaf of bread will be coming from. The summer months see the commissions coming in thick and fast, but winter can see a bit of a lull. “There are often more offers than I can accept for half the year and I wish I’d been asked in January,” he says.

The site-specific nature of his work can also be tricky. “The Lake District is quite an easy landscape to work with,” he says. “It’s easily recognised and a lot is understood about why it’s special.” Not every landscape is as inspiring. A previous commission in Peterborough proved more difficult. “It’s a very flat area without obvious features to work with and spark ideas.”

When he's not working, Steve enjoys seeing other artists' work, especially if it’s on a similar scale to his own. “I’ll travel to see significant works of art. Unlike paintings or sculptures, installations are more about an emotional experience and the presence of the piece - especially when it is bigger than the side of a house!”

PaperBridge is open to the public from May 8 to 18 May, in Patterdale, in the Lake District. For more information visit www.stevemessam.co.uk

Underground Orchestra is performed hourly from 7pm (each performance lasts 45 minutes and the last one is at 10pm) at York Cold War Bunker on May 16. Tickets are available from English Heritage on 0370-333-1181