17 As a Result

As a result of the process 2010
Bronze h10 x w13 x d12 cm

The 2010-2011 winter was the coldest since records began one hundred years earlier.  It brought heavy snowfall and bitterly cold easterly and north-easterly winds.  There was massive disruption countrywide.  As well as the heavy snow, this cold front brought raindrops that froze instantly upon contact with a cold surface.  This latter phenomena was really beautiful to see, coating the branches of the trees around my house and turning them silvery white.  It was also the only time I’ve seen icicles hanging from my guttering.

When these icicles started to melt, there was a steady drip, drip, drip from them.  I decided to put some clay underneath to see what would happen.  I took some terracotta clay and made a simple head, with three holes: two eyes and a mouth (as seen in Anthony Gormley’s wonderful Field series) and then positioned it directly underneath the drips.  There the head stayed until the icicles had melted, which was quite a long time.

Upon casting this weathered head, the bronze had given the sculpture an additional surprise: what is bizarrely called a ‘potato’ in the mouth.  This feature is generally considered a mistake and would normally be removed at the metal working stage.  I left it there as I think it complements the head’s gargoyle aesthetic. As always, I was excited to play with the medium.  In this instance, a great collaboration between the weather and the bronze resulted.