Here are some shots of the studio in Southern Spain to give an idea of where I've made most of the work that you see on this website. Many of the photos can be clicked on to enlarge for more detail. I'll be updating and adding more images from time to time to reflect what's happening in the studio.
You can also see a short film of a studio show here
A short trip around the studio October 2020.
And another short video from 2021
This is from 2023
Working on Votive Boat
Starting cutting the two votive barges from a cypress log.
The following images and short videos show progress through shaping and finishing with a charred surface,
Charring the wood to protect and blacken. This is known in Japan as Shou Sugi Ban.
The contents of this one mostly made from the offcuts from the carving with some extras,
In the studio on their steel stands. The one on the left is loaded with books from my Biblioteca Oculta series.
Small oxidized cast head
Sunlight and shadows
Assembly amongst the strelitzia
Photos from the studio during 2021-22
Steel piece in progress, morning light.
Photography session.
Stoneware pieces with white slip in progress
Painting with manganese and ready for firing.
Artist at work!
Natural patination in progress
Duplicate State in sunshine
Working out Phoenician letter forms for Temple
3mm steel ready for plasma cutting
Temple as shadow
Detail
Ceramic piece waiting for firing
Another ceramic piece waiting to be fired
Small cast head with paint over rust
Unfired clay with patinated copper and steel elements on MDF base
In this shot the red base is actually the rubber mould taken from the clay head. The clay is sitting on the plaster cast which is still in the mould at this point. Mmmmm, does anyone have any questions.......?!
Below are a few more images of work in progress during the Covid lockdown. I started using clay again but as I had no access to a kiln i chose to make moulds and cast them using materials i could access locally in the builders supply. This included plaster, various cements and materials for concrete mixes including ground marble.
Clay and metals before mould making
Plaster moulds ready for casting
Plaster cast
Casting clay piece with a rubber mould
Opening the mould
Plaster cast from rubber mould.
Plaster and metals including steel, lead and copper as well as ceramic elements and self hardening clay.
Another clay piece waiting to be cast.
This figure is using quick drying cement and steel
But finished up with a coating of rusted iron!
Rusted ceramic and wood.
Here I'm starting to bring together aspects of the abstract steel work and the figurative elements.
The following photos show some of the preparation I made for my installation in Venice during the Biennale last year. After choosing the room in Palazzo Bembo I made a 1:12 scale model of the space in the studio to start experimenting with ideas.
This was a first version of the bookcase concept with a table piece.
Bird's eye view of the model, still using the table and ladders at this point.
Marking out the space full size in the studio.
Trying out the black background.
Drying the moulds!
Working on the lighting.
And the shelves.....
Packing
Next are some of the bound book series being put together. I'm using real books wrapped with linen, bound with iron wire and treated with chemical salts to stain the fabric and corrode the iron. Other bound objects are then incorporated together with scraps of treated parchment and stained fabric.
And the transformation of the details...
Working with steel, plaster, copper and incorporating ceramic and wood elements.
Mesa under construction.
Before and after applying patination on a copper piece. You can see similar pieces in my book "Small Sculptures 1992-98"
This is one of the stands I later used for Assembly but I was trying it with one of the rusted books from the Biblioteca Oculta series. Maybe that will be another project.
La Biblioteca Oculta (The Hidden library) is an ongoing series using books which have been transformed by binding and encasing in an iron based coat which rusts when treated with chemical salts. This the same treatment that I have used for elements of the bound book series. Here are a few photos showing some of the process and results. I find that by making the subject matter of the book inaccessible (but often giving titles), they are transformed into objects of power beyond their presence as works of literature/poetry/scientific materiel etc. In other words, they become sculpture. You can see finished pieces here
Final version
This piece became part of the Venice installation
Stoneware pieces waiting to be fired.
These clay masks have been used to make the red rubber moulds which were in my installation in Venice.
Below are a couple of photos of fired ceramic elements to be incorporated in larger works, either sculpture or painting. I like to make many elements once I'm using a particular materiel and only later do their places in the work become clear, sometimes many years later.
A general shot with some of the rubber moulds on the bench in front.
More general studio shots showing various activities happening!
One of the panels using wood ash collected from wood grown and burnt on the land around the studio. These include wild olive, carob and oak. There are some finished pieces are on this page (scroll down)
Organised (?) chaos.....
A few photos from around the studio....