Lead is my primary material though concrete is sometimes used along side the lead.
Wrapping objects in lead has been an ongoing obsession of mine over many years. The lead starts as a flat sheet and is then hammered round the object either in a single sheet or in a series of sheets and welded together (see ‘Trine’).
The latest series of sculptures all use part of a tree as a starting point (‘Heart of Oak’,’ Extended Line’, ‘Twin III’ and ‘Trine’). The selection of the piece and how and what is cut is critical. The lead wrapping preserves what is inside but crucially takes the object a further step away from the familiar. I am aiming at a point where the response to seeing the piece is not tree but something other. A suggestion of a machine perhaps but where the sense of tree is not entirely submerged.
CASTINGS – I have been experimenting for the last few years with casting in lead by pressing objects into a bed of sand. Usually the same object is used over and over again to create flow and movement within a frame; the frame helps to order this movement. The lead relief’s are like drawings and this idea is helped by the use of negative space within the casts. (see ‘Twiglets’)
CONCRETE – I use concrete, often in conjunction with the lead. I use concrete in a very fluid way. Again I wrap, but this time the wrapping (plastic sheet) is a means to an end. The concrete is put in the plastic wet and then sealed and rolled or folded. When the concrete is set the plastic is stripped away(see ‘Roll and’)
To see more click on the images on the left
Wrapping objects in lead has been an ongoing obsession of mine over many years. The lead starts as a flat sheet and is then hammered round the object either in a single sheet or in a series of sheets and welded together (see ‘Trine’).
The latest series of sculptures all use part of a tree as a starting point (‘Heart of Oak’,’ Extended Line’, ‘Twin III’ and ‘Trine’). The selection of the piece and how and what is cut is critical. The lead wrapping preserves what is inside but crucially takes the object a further step away from the familiar. I am aiming at a point where the response to seeing the piece is not tree but something other. A suggestion of a machine perhaps but where the sense of tree is not entirely submerged.
CASTINGS – I have been experimenting for the last few years with casting in lead by pressing objects into a bed of sand. Usually the same object is used over and over again to create flow and movement within a frame; the frame helps to order this movement. The lead relief’s are like drawings and this idea is helped by the use of negative space within the casts. (see ‘Twiglets’)
CONCRETE – I use concrete, often in conjunction with the lead. I use concrete in a very fluid way. Again I wrap, but this time the wrapping (plastic sheet) is a means to an end. The concrete is put in the plastic wet and then sealed and rolled or folded. When the concrete is set the plastic is stripped away(see ‘Roll and’)
To see more click on the images on the left