Sculptures by the Sea Bondi, 'Ashes to Ashes' presented 'The Peoples Choice Award' by Prime Minister Turnbull (middle), 2015. Mr Turnbull described the work as both quintessentially Australian and hauntingly beautiful.
Ah, the Archive from 1978 – where the journey began in Western Australia!
I've got to hand it to my well-meaning pals who used to say, "Stick to one style, and you'll be a success." But you know what? I'm thrilled I didn't take their advice. Who wants to be known for just one thing, anyway?
Over the last four decades, it's like I've been on a wild sculptural adventure, discovering seven new styles. I've tossed materials together in ways that might make some art purists raise an eyebrow, or maybe even created something that's never graced the art world before.
Living in isolation has its quirks, but it's also a goldmine of creative solitude. Sure, I've had some help from my trusty comrades, but I've been blazing trails and breaking new ground in the world of material mash-ups.
Now, if you ask me what achievement takes the cake, it's gotta be the "Triple Human form developments." I've birthed three new styles for depicting the human form, I am surprised. It's like a symphony of creativity, both rewarding and oh-so-humbling.
Electroformed Sculptures: Unveiling a metal and chemical womb and organic Transformation.
In my artistic endeavors, I embarked on the creation of a collection featuring Australian native animals. This process involved casting them in resin and subsequently applying an electroplated copper finish, meticulously designed to emulate the timeless beauty of bronze.
During this creative journey, I chanced upon the remarkable realm of electroforming. In its essence, electroforming entails the gradual growth of copper upon an object over an extended duration. This transformative process yields astonishing, organic shapes that elegantly encapsulate stones or other organic elements within a pure copper exoskeleton.
Further enhancing the artistry, the electroformed copper canvas can be adorned with additional layers of gold, silver, brass, or nickel through the process of plating. Alternatively, it can be imbued with character and depth through the application of oxidizing agents. Alternatively, one may choose to leave it to nature's own hand, allowing the elements to bestow upon it the distinctive patinas that time and the environment provide. The result is a testament to the ever-evolving beauty of artistic expression.
Wood and Soapstone Sculptures: A Tale of Materials and Choices In the heart of the Southwest, we're blessed with an abundance of soapstone, a natural rock material that once fueled my artistic endeavors. However, I eventually bid adieu to this reasonably soft stone, not out of artistic disdain, but due to its rather unwelcome toxicity. No matter how diligent one may be with masks and precautions, that pesky dust always manages to sneak its way in. If you ask me, the key to preserving those precious lungs is to work the stone while it's wet, a practice that offers a much safer artistic experience.
On the flip side, there's Jarrah, a local red Mahogany with a finely textured grain that I've had the privilege of carving. It's undoubtedly one of the most cherished materials in my artistic repertoire, for it exudes a vitality all its own.
While I dabbled in wood carving, it was a brief but memorable fling, resulting in just two wood sculptures that still hold a place of honor in my collection, as you can see here. These materials and the choices we make as artists often define our creative journey, shaping not only the final form but also the stories and experiences behind each piece.
IDM (Image Data Matrix) Laser Scanning and CNC Milling for Mint-Worthy Creations
What you're witnessing here is a groundbreaking endeavor, a pioneer in the realm of art and technology. We ventured into uncharted territory, utilizing a cutting-edge Grey Scale Laser scanning technique, and mastered the art of reproducing designs to the exacting standards of the minting world.
Collaborating closely with the brilliant inventor David Herbert, our mission was clear: to craft design styles that could not only inspire fellow artists and artisans but also cater to the discerning needs of coin and medallion mints. In this quest, we left no pixel unscanned, no detail untouched, and no boundary untested, forging a path that others in the artistic and minting realms would follow.
