Symbiosis - Concepts & Materials

Of all the advice given to me by my tutors at Gray's School of Art, the one that has really excited and challenged me is to be more considerate of the materials I select for projects.

It is fair to say that when planning a sculpture I would use materials that where readily available. For the Masters Show I intended to produce casts of my Wartime Structures from a large sheet of lead that I owned. My tutors were excited that I wanted to do some hot metal casting but told me that  lead could not be used because of its toxicity. That I should reconsider my choice of metal and replace it with one that was non-toxic and that may also be sympathetic to the nature of the project.

It alarms me that the WW coastal batteries in the UK are disintegrating rapidly and will soon be lost for future generations to wonder upon. After much thought I decided that brass gun shells would be a fitting memorial. That maybe one of my sculptures would be a reminder of war in Britain. 

Sourcing enough ammunition for my casting purposes was going to take time and money. My quest found me at Steptoe's Yard, by Montrose. A cornucopia of randomness and disorder. 

Although my crusade for alloy was rewarded with a large brass shell the trajectory of the projects financing costs had steeply risen. It was clear that I would only be able to afford to make two or three small buildings.

Not wanting to disregard the remaining fabrications I began to consider new construction
materials. With my tutors guidance still in mind I determined that concrete would be the responsive conclusion.