I spent the summer making moulds, printing 3D objects and cutting foam. I decided that, as well as making the hand grips from start to finish, I wanted to see what happened if I used different materials as well as bronze.
To prepare for the residency, I decided to get one of my hand pieces made and to go and see the process. Paul Kennedy Studio, a wonderful small foundry in Shropshire took me through everything so I was clear what I needed to do and what I needed to prepare before I went to make the most of my two weeks.
In June I was excited to judge the Royal Society of Sculptors bronze award supported by Milwyn Art Foundry. This prize is given to a graduating student from the RA, provides 3-6 month space and support at the foundry, £3000 of materials and a show of work at the Society. Alex Davies of Milwyn and I were looking for a student who would push the boundaries of bronze either physically or conceptually and were delighted to choose Charlie Fegan. His work can be seen here
The Scottish Sculpture Workshop is an amazing place in the North of Scotland, which provides artists with the rare combination of being able to both think and make. It is set is a small village next to the Cairngorms, a two day drive for me from London and far away from everything. There are rooms on site along with a foundry, iron casting, a forge and metal, wood and ceramic workshops and wonderful technical support from Eden Joly and Uist Corrigan.
The Kingdom of Benin has a long tradition of bronze casting which has been passed down and still exists today. This video shows the process.
Clare is a London-based artist who makes coloured sculptures. Her practice tackles the dilemmas of 21st century living – technology, consumerism, migration – and how we find compromises to navigate them. Using wood, stainless steel, bronze, concrete, resin, plastic and clay, she sites works in groups or in locations that draw gentle attention to the issue in question. Clare has completed site-specific installations in spaces such as Corbusier’s Unite d’Habitation, Brompton and Norwood Cemeteries, Bishopsgate Square and the Royal Society of Sculptors. She has shown outdoor sculpture at Meadow Arts, Cheeseburn, Hannah Peschar, Contemporary Sculpture Fulmer and in Hengshui City. Solo exhibitions include Art Seen, Nicosia, Unit One WorkshopIGallery, Leighton House Museum, William Benington Gallery, University of Leeds, Studio M74 in Mexico City and and she has shown at the RA, the National Gallery, the Jerwood Space, the RIBA and the Royal Society of Sculptors.
