Surrey Sculpture Society: Meet the Makers
As we enter the final month of our sculpture exhibition we are celebrating by sharing some behind the scenes details from the artists themselves - A fascinating insight into the creative process…….
NICK BAKER - Protea
Welcome to a little glimpse behind the the scenes of how I build my Protea and why - well may you ask!
My motivation for these is pretty straightforward - I lived in Durban for some years and was introduced to the South African National Flower - the Protea. The variations of colour, texture and form are quite overwhelmingly beautiful and I was inspired to create something similar, whilst being suitable for an outdoor UK garden.
To this end I use mild steel, in various guises which I then weld together before painting. I use round wire nails to make the central-stamen-thingy, welded onto a hollow sphere. The petals are CNC cut from 1.5mm sheet - I hammer some shape into them before welding onto the underside of the sphere.
After that it's over to painting - sometimes the whole flower, but more recently I enjoy the contrast between the painted inner section and the rusty outer petals. That description somewhat glosses over the roller-coaster of tedious repetitive "lows", punctuated by the colourful "highs" during construction. If anyone reading this would like to come and bend some wire nails then don't be shy!
The assembly of the central-stamen is by far the most patience-testing of the build, but I have learned to put on some music and go on auto-pilot for a few hours. It's possible I'm being a little melodramatic because by suppertime the nails are all done and I'll return in the morning for petals and priming.
Drying times for paint does mean that the whole process can take several days. I use an airbrush to apply the paint - the accuracy of application is far superior to an aerosol or (in my hands at least) a paintbrush. There's always the excitement of playing with colour combinations - there are no rules with art so the freedom is quite intoxicating. The final job is a few coats of clear laquer to increase durabilty in a country beset by glorious weather, deciduous trees and over-fed birds.
I am very lucky to be able to do what I do - as the old cliche goes: "If you enjoy your job then you'll never work a day in your life.
MARION IRONMONGER - Yakap (Embrace)
The word yakap could mean: “clasp", to hold tightly with the hand; "hug", to hold tightly with the arms; or, as the sculpture suggests, "embrace", to put the arms around someone and pull them close. An embrace so full of love that two people become one in body and soul.
Using clay as a medium of expression or communication was love at first touch. Clay is pliable, forgiving and unpredictable. Unpredictable because sometimes it can direct your work onto a different path.
Clay is also a teacher – one learns to be pliable, forgiving and open to possibilities.
One of the things people notice about Marian’s sculptures is their unusual titles which are emotive words from the Philippine language.
“Being away from my native land gives me a deep yearning for it. This longing finds its expression in my work and their titles: emotions associated with affection and expressions of identity. It is hoped that my sculptures would spark your curiosity and make an emotional connection. It is a pleasure to share them with you."
ELIZABETH COOKE – King & Queen
My Uncle has always played chess. He was the senior UK champion at his peak and is hoping to do a tournament when he hits 90 next year.
Although I don't play chess I have always been fascinated by the pieces from an early age. More recently I have looked at chess sets from a purely aesthetic point of view - my favourites being the Lewis Chessmen and Josef Hartwig's Bauhaus chess set. I love the playfulness of the Lewis chessmen and the simplicity of the Bauhaus set.
For a long time now I have been playing around with shapes and ideas to create a set. Last year I finished my first complete set - each piece between 10 and 20cm tall. Since then, I have created the King and Queen now being exhibited at Riverhill. I started with the Queen, her 'skirt' is female swirls (can you find the Q) the mesh was to solidify the form a bit, otherwise the piece would look top heavy. The king is male straight lines (can you spot the K). I planned to simply scale up my first pieces but that didn't work out so I used the original as a starting point and went from there.
The chess story continues - I am now making a small set for an exhibition coming up in London in August. This set is getting more abstract, and I am already thinking about the next - more abstract again.....
My sculpture is all metal based (except for the occasional foray into wire and willow). I draw and photograph and research my subjects. I generally have a plan of how my piece will work - by day two I have usually gone off on a tangent and thought of a much better idea! Metal work is very forgiving - if it doesn't work I can just set my angle grinder on it and start again!
The exhibition, featuring the works above, plus about sixty more, has been carefully curated through the gardens at Riverhill. It is almost at an end now, the 28th of september is the last day to see it, so please do come and enjoy these incredible pieces.
