"Nothing is finished until it is out of my possession"
I have been making sculptures of one kind or another since the late 1950’s. I started by collecting objects adjacent to my home – on the beach in Jersey, and frequently assembled or bonded one to another in some way.
In 1966, in a solo exhibition in Cambridge, I presented my first serious collection of artworks assembled from materials that were available to me. I have continued, albeit erratically over the last 40yrs, this in-built habit of finding or saving something that caught my eye and immediately or later, sometimes much later, attempting to transform the object or material into an artwork of some kind. Whatever it becomes, it is as a result of a process that is far from straightforward. The time scale can be several hours, equally it can be several years. As long as the ‘artwork’ is in my possession I am quite likely to ‘refresh it’, ‘restore it’, ‘rework it’ or possibly destroy it.
I work with whatever is available to me whether using boxwood, cherry or maple woods from my garden, driftwood from the beach or a bespoke material like French modelling wax or epoxy cement. During 1967-68 I worked on a private island creating the largest work I have yet produced, a ‘sculptural headland’. In fact it was a cross over between land art and landscaping using many tonnes of indigenous granite. It was entirely sustainable, the local materials were simply, if laboriously excavated and then ‘redistributed’. No doubt nature has by now had its own effect on my intervention. More recently my work has linked an early interest in letter forms - I did train as a letter cutter in stone - with assembled timber, both processed and natural – for use in a garden setting.
I have undertaken two major figurative commissions: a twice life size Madonna & Child - a filmed production of this, ’Form in the Making’ was purchased by the Tate Gallery and used in its public film showings during the mid’70s; and a life size Risen Christ together with some ecclesiastical restoration work.
I have undertaken two major figurative commissions: a twice life size Madonna & Child - a filmed production of this, ’Form in the Making’ was purchased by the Tate Gallery and used in its public film showings during the mid’70s; and a life size Risen Christ together with some ecclesiastical restoration work.
My most recent commission (2009) is a bronze bas-relief piece for the new Art Deco clubhouse which forms the hub of the exciting Castle Stuart Golf development on the outskirts of Inverness.
So what are these (frequently small) artworks about? In essence they combine sometimes familiar materials which aren’t always associated with one another; the surfaces may be camouflaged; sometimes it may be all but impossible to be sure what the materials are. The artworks might be surprisingly light or really heavy; they can sometimes be regarded as models for something much larger. The artworks do require a bit of reflection and consideration. There may be a number of alternative interpretations. From a technical perspective the linking, bonding or finishing processes often take an inordinate amount of time to get right – which is why “nothing is finished until it is out of my possession”.
If you’d like to examine some of my artworks or have an informal discussion about a possible commission, simply make contact. Such enquiries are always welcome.
Thank you for taking an interest
Allan Bransbury