Stage One – Hepworth  - Upright Form, St.ives 1949

For my artefact project I chose to recreate a work by Barbara Hepworth. I chose her as an artist because I have grown up in a town surrounded by her works and have been inspired by them over the years. I also had access to the tools and information necessary to recreate a work by her using traditional methods.

I took several books out from the library containing works by Hepworth and studied them intently, I also visited the Hepworth Museum on several occasions and managed to take a few sneaky shots on my phone camera which helped me put the body of her work into perspective and try to pick a significant yet realistic piece to recreate.

I appreciated the importance of feeling what inspired the artist and exposed myself wantonly to dramatic Cornish landscapes, camp stripy polo necks, French berets, a heavy smoking habit and a mild alcohol problem, I continued this work during my time at university in order to add authenticity to the final sculpture.

For the purposes of this project I procured a space in my fathers sculpture studio and used his various tools and equipment in order to hue my piece from the very trunk of a tree that had not so many years before stood proud and majestic, dominating the landscape of St Erth and inspiring awe in all those who looked into it’s magnificent branches crested with emerald green foliage so befitting a tree of it’s splendid stature.

Whilst Hepworth is famed for her bronzes, the humble wooden sculpture bore a pivital role in the creative process employed by the artist. It was the foundation upon which she unleashed her creative processes lavishing the initial burst of expression which so vividly captured the imagination of the masses.

In short she made small scale wooden models of her final pieces in order to “envision” the final dream.

I chose a piece of Cyprus, a highly aromatic wood noted for it’s interesting grain and ease to carve lending itself whole heartedly to the project in hand. I started out with a large 4 foot high log, approximately 2 feet in diameter which I quartered length wise and then halved producing 8 rather marvellous pieces of wood.

From here I proceeded to flatten one face of the block firstly with a large chisel and then with a spoke shave (a tool traditionally employed in the manufacture of cart wheels) which achieves an effect twixt a chisel and a plane.

This flat surface enabled me to sketch out my initial designs upon it, similar to the process employed by Hepworth and the craftsmen she called upon to aid her creative visions.

Stage Two

Stage two started as an almost brutal slog against the wood, a large proportion of the block had to be cut away to reveal the delicate inner form that was emerging. I employed large chisels and a heavy mallet in order to cut out the form.

As the form emerged I used a combination of chalk and pencil markings to constantly guide my blade, slicing through the layers of wood, reaching ever closer to my goal.

I constantly referred to pictures both in books and ones I myself had taken, revisiting the gallery several times during this period of frenetic activity. I felt drained, I needed to rest, but I pursued my task which had become like a religious quest, driving me onwards with a fervour.

Gradually my vision became a reality and the sleepless nights spent tossing and turning in a furious debate of the angle of the true organic curve paid dividends.

I began to see the rugged Cornish cliffs recreated in the form I was contriving to sculpt, I had captured nature in it’s raw form, stealing it’s majesty, captivating it’s glory and imprisoning them in my work.. I felt powerful.. for a fleeting moment.

Then again, like the waves of the ocean I cavorted down the curve into the depths of despair. Had I really recreated the artist’s intentions? Was I just projecting my own hopes and dreams through my chisel, I was at a loss, I felt my artistic self was drifting in the ether disconnected from my body, unable to communicate.

After several days evading all reminders of the task in hand I returned to these tumultuous thoughts and concluded that I must now sand the wood to a fine finish.
Would this resolve my artistic conflicts?
It did, I was quite pleased with the finish and concluded all was not in vain.

Stage Three

This stage was in preparation for the unveiling of the final work. I used a coarse grain sand paper in order to remove imperfections on all the surfaces and graduated down to a fine grain which produced a finish suitable for polishing.

I found a base upon which to mount the piece, but sadly didn’t have time to photograph the final work before going to pressed (Sunday before hand in)

Conclusion

The methods employed in the production of the sculpture where genuine and authentic to all realistic expectations. I researched the sculpture thoroughly and put all effort into achieving an accurate recreation. I feel this project has helped me grow as a person and it has helped me connect with alcohol as a creative tool.

All photos in this section where taken by myself using a Sony W800i Phone and a Nikon D70S.