Pietrasanta Bronze Casting Residency 2010

The interview: my proposal for Pietrasanta

It now seems a while ago, but on the 19th October I was invited for an interview at the RBS headquarters on the Old Brompton Road. I had been told that I was to give a 10 – 15 minute presentation on “what I hoped to achieve if I was awarded the residency”, and that I could bring maquettes, drawings and handouts if I wanted to. This would be followed by questions.

Slightly nervous about this, I decided to prepare well and try to sound as confident as I could. I didn’t want to read out a prepared text as I always think that ends up being quite lifeless, but I as I felt it wasn’t actually that long to get across all I wanted to, I decided to have a very clear structure and I mapped out a ‘mind map’ of what I was to say (image attached). I practiced once to check on timing, but again didn’t want to repeat it too much, as I didn’t want to loose the genuine enthusiasm of saying it from the heart.

After a brief intro thanking them for the opportunity and giving a brief background to myself and practice, I did the old essay technique of briefly telling them what I was going to talk to them about: the 2 techniques I wanted to learn, the project I had planned, and my strategies of getting the most out of the opportunity.

2 techniques I want to explore

1. Combining cast bronze and constructed bronze elements
This relates to work I have been doing where I’ve used cast bioresin figures and constructed geometric forms made of copper and brass rods, as well as other works using human figures to represent molecular structures. I showed my man inscribed in a tetrahedron, and my molecules: carbon-carbon – with two men connected together, and carbon dioxide – a man (the carbon) connected/held by two women (the oxygens). They were interested in the materials and techniques I’d used, and I told them of how I would love to create a huge DNA helix made up of people representing the atoms all in their correct geometries.

2. Surface texture and colour – perceptions of form
I showed them an image of a new work – Nature/Network I had recently completed where I’d experimented with texture in the plaster and colouring this using tempera paint. I also showed them a sample work so they could see the colours and textures close up. I think too often with cast materials there is such a temporal separation between the modelling material and the finished form. I wanted to experiment with different textures and how this would effect the patinations possible, and how the patination would change how we perceive the form.

(there is a limit on word count per post – so I will continue this in a new post)

Where does the time fly to? I can’t believe it is already eight day’s since the first post here. The last week has been a bit frustrating as nothing seems to be moving that fast, and very few decisions have been made, but I’m beginning to get a picture of where I’m going and sorting out what I’m going to do. Lots of questions still hang over how I’m going to arrange childcare and seeing my son, but the good news is the pictures and layout of the flat I’ll have in Italy look great and I can imagine sharing it with my mother and my son for some of the residency without it being too hectic. I’ve also had an email with lots of information from the main contact in Italy which was great.

Meanwhile life continues in London. Today I spent the morning teaching at Hampstead School of Art, then I delivered a sculpture I had sold to a friend. It was interesting seeing the work installed in a domestic setting. I quite like the feeling of sending my pieces off into the world to have their own journeys.

This afternoon was earmarked for catching up on stuff on the computer, but I’m running out of time again. I feel like I haven’t done any applications for other opportunities since I was shortlisted for the residency, but I really should as I won’t be doing any of that for 3 months in Italy. I’ll need to have some other things to have lined up for next year when I’m back, and I feel like I need to keep the momentum up. It seems like I’ll need to spend a lot of my ‘work time’ (when I have childcare) at home on the computer this week rather than in the studio where I’d rather be. But at least I’m sleeping better now – last week I had a few nights when I couldn’t get to sleep as I had so many things rattling round my brain. I would then be tired during the day and not get as much done as I needed to, so then had more to worry about at night!

I will try to post again soon about the application process and the selection panel / interview for the residency – I think my scientific brain means that I feel I need to document the *whole* process. But maybe it will be interesting to compare the plans and objectives with what happens on the ground in Italy.

My Application for the residency:

As not much is happening yet on the residency, I’m posting the images and text I sent in as part of my application for the residency. Here are the three main questions from the application form along with my responses:

Please describe your experience of modelling.
I discovered and fell in love with clay when I was 11, as a result this medium feels like safe ‘home’ for expressing form and ideas. Today I work across a variety of modelling materials, including modelling wax, clay, plaster and even experimenting with expanding foam for working on a large scale.

Please give a brief outline of what you hope to achieve during the three month residency and explain why it could only be realised in Pietrasanta.
I anticipate immersing myself totally in what sounds like an amazing sculpture focused town. I am interested in the effect on my work to be in a different critical context. I suspect that the strong carving tradition and skilled craftsmen coupled with a variety of international contemporary practitioners would provide different feedback to what we are used to in London with its strong focus on concept and ideas. Through 3 months cut off from the usual background distractions of developing my career and the responsibilities of personal life, I would be hoping for a ‘quantum leap’ in my practice. At the very least I would be looking to return from Italy with a new set of sculpture techniques and news ways of seeing my work.

Do you have a project in mind that you’d like to pursue during the
residency? If so, please describe it.
During the residency I would like to focus on 2 areas:
1. Experimenting with combining cast bronze with constructed bronze elements
This relates to work I have been doing using constructed geometric forms in copper and brass combined with cast figures and forms. I would be interested in seeing how best the lost wax techniques could be exploited, changed or played with to produce news ways for me to sculpt.
2. Exploring surface texture and colour and how this relates to form
I have been experimenting using tempera paint on textured plaster surfaces, and I’m beginning to understand some of the effects of colour and texture on perceptions of form, and how this works sculpturally. I would like to translate this work over into bronze and patinas. I had tried learning about different chemical patinas in the past, but was limited as I was trying to patina resin bronze, which is a very poor substitute for bronze.

The 5 images are those submitted with my application and are of recent work.

Introducing the Bronze Casting Residency:

So, 2 weeks ago exactly I was facing a selection panel of eminent Sculptors and funders presenting my candidacy for this residency, part of which was a plan to set up a residency blog to capture my experiences and the knowledge I will gain. The next day I got the phone call telling me they had chosen me – I had to make the lovely Lisa at the RBS repeat herself just to make sure I ‘had’ not ‘hadn’t’ been selected!

The next few hours were a rollercoaster of emotions from elation to worry and guilt as to how we were actually going to organise this: the main issue being my darling child who is not quite 2.

I am now settling into the job of organising the various elements of preparation for the residency between the other commitments I currently have and my broad categories are:
– Project (more of this later, but will involve enzymes so I need to find an enzymologist to collaborate with)
– Childcare (where, how, who…)
– Blog
– Italian (will be essential as the artigiani in the foundry speak little english)
– Going Admin (flights, accommodation etc)
– Being away Admin (like sub-letting studio, teaching commitments…)

This first blog post is a bit rushed as fitted in during a nap time, so to finish I will just add a bit more information about the Residency (currently I don’t know all that much more than was on the application form so this is mostly paraphrased and copy/pasted from that).

The residency is offered through the RBS (Royal British Society of Sculptors) and is only open to RBS members. I’m a member as I was awarded a Bursary by the RBS last year.

The aim is to enable a professional sculptor without previous experience of working in bronze to learn the technical aspects of the casting process, thus expanding their skills and developing their practice. The residency offers the successful candidate the opportunity to work alongside the artisans of the renowned Fonderia Artistica Mariani, developing an understanding of the lost wax process, from the creation of their own models in clay and wax to the finishing stages with chisel and patina.

This is a fully supported residency for three months from February 2010.
It includes:
• 2 return trips to and from Pietrasanta (from anywhere within Europe).
• Apartment rent, including utilities but not phone.
• Studio rent.
• Stipend of 800 euro per month for living expenses.
• Introduction to techniques of enlargement in clay, plaster casting, mould making and bronze casting.
• Casting of 2 small pieces produced during the residency and the cost of theircrating, packing and shipping of the said sculptures and models.
• Accompanied visits to other foundries & studios.

So… follow this blog over the next 6 months to see it all fit into place