Object 1. Hammerstone

  

 

Following on with the theme of the ‘archaeological stone tool artefact’, ‘Hammerstone’ is a small, highly polished piece of Purbeck Marble fixed upon a Portland Limestone base.

 

 

 

  'Hammerstone', 2013. Dimensions: 13 cm x 29.5 cm x 10 cm

Black Axe

The origins of this small carving has been the product of cutting and reusing a small part of a larger stone to then form part of another composition. This idea was not successful and the evolution of the stone took on another guise. Before finally deciding on its purpose the journey of the stone reminded me of the apocryphal story of 'Washington's Axe' or 'My Grandfathers Axe' which is where the title originates. This is a paradoxical story about the famous axe which belonged to George Washington and how its handle and head had been replaced several times by a variety of owners, therefore bringing into question if the object still held the same identity, value and meaning. This has started me thinking about working on a series of small carvings, which I will show over the next few weeks titled 'Objects of Desire'. These carvings will be in a variety of different stones and may suggest that they are components from other artefacts.

   'Black Axe', 2013. Dimensions: 13 cm x 8.5 cm x 24 cm 

Time for Reflection

After 18 months of Post Graduate Cert. in Learning and Teaching in the Creative Arts at UCA, I can finally submit my portfolio and get back to getting my hands dirty or dusty!!
News of an exciting new commission to follow!!

The Lost World

 

Just returned from a truly amazing 'first' visit to Pompeii and nearby Herculaneum. Nothing quite prepares you for the gripping sites and the impact the story has on you. The aspect that makes it such an experience is the intimacy you have with the abandoned city. However, with an influx of 2 million tourists every year the fragile ruins are undergoing an extensive conservation programme to maintain this extraordinary world.

 

The Tacit Component

'The Art of Venn - A self -study'. Marble, Bronze and Slate. 48cm x 34 cm x 2cm 

This relief sculpture was made as a result of trying to capture gaps in my knowledge base and my role as a teacher within the creative arts. The Vennn diagram is used here to compare and contrast  characteristics of concepts relating to pedagogical content, subject knowledge and personal constructs.
The result is the possible impression of two faces, one the reflective practitioner and the other focused on  personal professional development.

From the Earth to the Air

This Carrara Marble relief panel has been in my private collection for several years. I made it back in 2008. It measures 1m x 26 cm x 2.5 cm. The marble is extremely thin and I remember being extremely anxious when working on it. Due to the fragility it was carved using only hand tools and in a way the stone dictated what I was going to be able to do with it.

At the time I can recall marvelling at the aerial photography of Yann Arthur –Bertrand. His airborne odyssey took him across six countries, photographing specular panoramas of vast geographical formations. These photos gave a different perspective of landscapes; coast lines and rivers in extraordinary compositions of light and form. What I ended up doing was a result of these photos, but the landscape was not fixed to any location but recalled within my own memory. It is a landscape that I still enjoy studying especially when it comes to life as it did here at 3.30 pm on 27/01/2013, illuminated by a wonderful winter light. The title by the way is ‘Tundra’.

When light and shadows play across their surface

There is an obsession that many stone carvers share and it is that they find it difficult to throw anything they cut or carve away. No matter how small and insignificant the stone may be, there are experiments and explorations in stone that sometimes cannot be explained. We keep hold and place them on the shelf glancing at them every day hoping to find a use or an explanation to the unique physical properties of the form. Suddenly, when working on something else you turn around one day and there is a unique moment when light enters the studio and shadows play across the surface of the objects that have preoccupied you for months. It is just then that the significance and relevance of these forms are transformed into sculptures and the clarity fills you with vigour.