CURATOR'S BLOG - Paul mitchell Stone - the carved form

Welcome to STONE – The Carved Form. This exhibition has been a couple of years in the making and a real joy to see it all come together. I have worked as a professional stone carver/mason for over forty years, working on many public and private commissions. The idea for the exhibition first started with the realisation that there was very little in the way of exhibitions of contemporary stone carving in the UK, in particular, within Wales.

The prime concept for the exhibition was to bring to audiences stone carvings made by stone carvers living and working within the UK who have their own distinctive approaches, styles and choice of material.  I realised that it was quite a daunting theme and although I have worked in stone for many years that I would only be able to feature certain aspects of stone sculpture.

I have invited four stone carvers whose work illustrates the incredible qualities that different stones produce under the hammer and chisel of creative hands.
Their carvings are born out of a feel for the stone. The outcomes therefore translate the characteristics of the stone itself. Sometimes led by a certain vein or colour shift in the stone can lead the sculptor to follow that characteristic to its- and his - conclusion. At other times more pre-worked out designs will only be achievable by working with the stone and not in conflict with it. It is a partnership between the sculptor and the stone. Each having their part to play.
 
Light is vital to understanding how a surface is understood. In this exhibition I have included carvings that show the variations in tone, from darker to lighter.  The different stones used by the sculptors in the exhibition have various shades through to completely translucent. Allowing the onlooker to experience a small section of the vast variety of different qualities that stone has and how light plays such an important role in its appreciation.

Jude Tucker: Tsura (detail), Rose Alabaster                                     Meic Watts: Hare (detail), slate relief carving

Other considerations in curating the show were to have sculptures of around the same dimension so that all would be given the same level playing field - not one sculpture dominating by sheer scale.  Chisel marks left on the sculptures serving as a reminder to the onlooker that these pieces have been made through hard work and effort.

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 My own approach to stone carving is working intuitively with the material, also referred to as ‘free carving’. My latest body of figurative sculpture has grown from my interest in the subconscious, translating through narrative imagery, whilst at the root remains the simple love of working with stone.

            Shedding the Skin, Lepine Limestone

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       Quest, Lepine Limestone

          Envelop,  Lepine Limestone                                                   

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It was important to me that the carvings had been undertaken by the artists themselves.
Each carving has been hand carved and is an original piece of the artists own design.
I visited the artists as much as possible in their own studios during the curation process.

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                                                                                                                                   In my studio carving Shedding the Skin.

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I kept the selected group to a small number and selected three carvings by each artist.

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Participants in the exhibition

Tom Clark began working in stone in 1974, first as a monumental mason and then as an ecclesiastical mason serving an apprenticeship at Chichester Cathedral. The influence of this almost classical discipline shines through with his work - however he finds  a fullfilment in allowing the material to dictate the developing designs.

        Mother & Child, Portland Stone

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Seated Girl,  Portland Stone

He said with the seated figure for example - ‘I wanted to carve a female form but had no clear idea of how that would manifest but just had that intention’.

          Daisy Chain, Portland Stone                     

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Jude Tucker
With the many myriad forms and material types and influences of the light- I wanted to include the translucence of certain stone types. Alabaster is renowned for possessing this quality if worked with by an experienced practitioner.

Jude Tucker.  Tsura, Rose Alabaster

On meeting Jude Tucker and discussing her work, she explained where the idea for the wave form (Tsura)  originated.  She explained that the horizontal line of a lighter colour had a slightly different hardness to the surrounding- this led to the line being echoed in the carved shape higher up the sculpture. It emphasised and enhanced the  shape which was naturally revealed by the working. Jude’s abstract carvings seem to lend themselves particularly well to working with Alabaster.

Jude Tucker.      Luna Warrior, Clouds Alabaster                                   Belisama, Bardaglio Alabaster

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David England's combinations of mythological themes and controlled approach to carving led him to produce his exceptional carved figurative pieces.

A more formal approach to his work - he understands and utilises the Cubist approach, creating designs based on mythology and fantasy.

The Wooden Flute.  Lincolnshire Limestone

 Bird Dancer, Lincolnshire Limestone

Choices.  Ancaster Stone

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Meic Watts trained for a time with sculptor and letter carver Jonah Jones. The inherent qualities of slate make it a difficult stone to work with - prone to splitting and fracturing.

Here the darkness of the slate serves in stark contrast to the other stone featured in the exhibition.
The light falling upon Meic’s carvings being absorbed as much as reflecting.

Otter.   Carved slate from Cwt y Bugail, Ffestiniog

Hare    Carved slate from Cwt y Bugail, Ffestiniog

Manx Shearwater.  Carved slate from Cwt y Bugail, Ffestiniog

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During the exhibition it was a great pleasure to meet the daughter of the late Italian sculptor, Paulo Narra. I originally spent four years training with Paulo in the early ‘80’s at his workshop in Llanharan. As a result of the exhibition publicity, Gabriella saw her father’s name mentioned and contacted me. I am delighted to hear that she has now decided to train in marble carving in Italy, following in her father’s footsteps.

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Finally, many thanks to the artists Jude, Meic, Tom and David for showing their work. All the works are superb and I would hope that the exhibition would encourage more interest in the ancient art of stone carving. Further thanks to Charlotte Kingston, Artistic Curator for the Makers Guild Wales, for her support and encouragement in putting this exhibition together. Also a sincere thanks to the Makers Guild Wales gallery for hosting the exhibition and to their team of staff for helping the exhibition’s promotion.