Sculptures: revolutions
Revolutions is the name of a body of work made in 2011 at Fonderia Mariani in Pietrasanta, Italy, thanks to the bursary award of the Brian Mercer Residency.
These sculptures have been exhibited at the Royal British Society, London, during the 2012 Summer, along with Nick Turvey's marble sculptures.
The catalogue of my residency in Pietrasanta
More about the reasons behind these body of work and title below the photos.
Volta 2, view A, 2011, bronze, 62 x 68 x 66 cm Photo Sussie Ahlburg
Volta 2, view B, 2011, bronze, 62 x 68 x 66 cm Photo Sussie Ahlburg
Volta 2, view C, 2011, bronze, 62 x 68 x 66 cm photo Sussie Ahlburg
Volta 2, view D, 2011, bronze, 62 x 68 x 66 cm Photo Sussie Ahlburg
Maquette D, 2011, wax. Approx 25x25x30cm.Photo Anne Mercedes
Revolutionary Process, 2011, 48 x 45 x 40 cm.
I made this piece out of wax. It was then cast in bronze.
Volta A, 2011, bronze, 71 x 62 x 68 cm.
In Pietrasanta, I worked in the Mariani foundry and benefited from its extensive resources, supervision of the highest quality, the skills of the artigiani, and the unique process it offers of applying a ceramic coating to the wax model. I was living in a culturally very rich environment, benefiting from the natural, architectural and artistic treasures of Tuscany. And so I wove my own canvas of natural and cultural materials enriched by my encounters with artists and anonymous people going about their daily business or demonstrating in the streets, my reading of novels and essays, and my interest in world events.
In this respect, Italian politics, the upheaval in the Arab world, the way wealthy countries deal with migration, the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, not least their impact on our awareness of the dangers of nuclear energy, played a role in the specific way I have been connecting with my constant preoccupations.
The maquettes and sculptures I made during my residency are the result of an exploration of the tensions that I witnessed and sensed in my multilayered canvas combined with the expressive possibilities I discovered while working with wax, knowing that the final work would be cast in bronze, a material strong enough to support unbalanced constructions.
Each sculpture is an investigation into a compound of perceptions, emotions and thoughts that I wanted to convey visually.
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