These are a few of the many photos we have taken to
document the process, from beginning to final
completion of the sculpture. We’ve censored out the
ones which reveal
either of us in particularly unflattering poses (we
do occasionally remember to be vain).
The maquette which won 1st prize in
the MIA competition. One of our greatest concerns
was to replicate the spirit, sketchiness and
dynamics of the maquette in the actual sculpture
Measuring the space where the
sculpture would be installed. The doors were
eventually blocked up.
Preparing one of the 29
armatures!Bendable copper pipe formed the skeleton.
This was encased in chicken wire, wrapped in masking
tape and then filled with expandable foam. We made
strong armatures, capable of taking the weight of
the heavy almost unsupported 'flying' clay models.
Building up a figure in clay. All
work was done at Celia’s studio under
the watchful eye of Smoke, the studio cat.
Sculpture by consensus: we both
worked on the figures simultaneously and –
miraculously – without arguing.
An unpainted fibreglass figure
juxtaposed against a freshly finished clay figure.
Supervising the drilling of the wall
holes for the steel rods.
Trial hang: trying out the unpainted
figures on site to ensure that the entire
composition came together well.
Tagged with individual numbers
corresponding to their steel pole and the hole in
the backing wall, the trial hang continues. Plastic conduit
pipes are used to temporarily prevent swivelling on the poles.
Grey paper is used as a trial to help us decide on a
shade of wall paint for the wall flanking and
framing the sculpture.
Back in studio,
the figures are all laid out ready to be painted.
Painted and
varnished.
Bubble wrapped and bagged,
figures await transportation from studio to airport
On arrival at airport we glued the
pre-cut steel poles into the fibreglass sleeves
inside the figures
The first figure goes up: unwrapping
the plastic and touching up the paint
Touching up the gypsum backing
panel.
More and more figures go up.
The process gets harder as more figures are mounted,
there is less space for adjustment and hardly any
space for us to navigate in
Finishing touches: somehow we got
involved in the unveiling ceremony preparations....perhaps with rather too
much enthusiasm.
Connie the
seamstress sewing the curtains for the unveiling at
Passport Control!
