USUK Symposium #9                        Butley Mills Studio, Suffolk, UK    2008

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2008 Proposals

Christian Benefiel                Baltimore, Washington, UK

images coming soon      

Sarah Clover                               Providence, RI, USA                MFA Rhode Island School of Art, 2005

My work relates to memories and the deciphering of narratives. I create imagery that is open for interpretation. The narratives explored have no end or beginning. They are a mere glimpse into a moment, the past and present and future merge. Although the time they exist in is only temporary, their image lasts.

Stephen Coles                   Dorset, UK                                      Upcoming: MFA, Alfred University, New York

 My work over the past few years has mainly been on the subject of primitivism and the development of such psychological mechanisms as religion, to be used as tools to help try and understand our conscious realization of the world we inhabit.

The main starting point for this body of work were my observations of man's ability to, alter matter and their environment, in order to better suit their needs. This can be best illustrated by man's ability to create fire and all the subsequent developments in our civilization that have come about from this initial act.

  

 

Laurence Edwards               Suffolk, UK                                       USUK, Butley Mills, Host     

images coming soon      

Justine Johnson Griffiths                Wales, UK                         2003 MFA:  Middlesex, London

    

The invitation to the USUK International Cast Iron Symposium comes as part of a three-year commitment to working with iron and gaining the skills, fluidity, and gaining confidence to express myself more and more completely in the material. I also want to contribute to the growing international culture of this specialist field.

 

         

Robert Harding                   Wales, UK                                       

For the 9th USUK Symposium I will be investigating casting on an intermediate scale, which will involve designing pieces that fit together mechanically.  This should then give me the confidence to work at a ‘larger than life’ scale.  I relish mixing media, so any work produced will almost certainly contain other materials such as glass or  ephemeral ‘stuff’.

   

Paul Higham                       New York, USA + UK                        Goldsmiths, London 1974

 

Kate Hobby                       Suffolk, UK                                         USUK Cordinator

Over the past year I have become increasingly interested in alternative methods of mold making. I intend to use material occurring naturally around Butley Mills to create molds of imaginary creatures inspired by the surrounding woodland and marshes.  

Dilys Jackson                Cardiff, Wales, UK                       1960 Slade School of Fine Art, London

I have been working recently on forms derived from growing matter, such as romanescos and stone cactuses. These forms grow out of crucibles, mortars or other container shapes. I relate these growths to the lava, fire, water and fumes coming from the earth as volcanoes and geysers.

       

Coral Lambert                    New York, USA + UK                         MFA Manchester, 1990         USUK Director

  Being the 11th year of running USUK it gives me great pleasure to hand over a lot of the organization and running of the furnace to the next generation.

I hope to have time to produce some pieces that explore the 'meta physical' using cast iron, magnets and copper.

      

Derek Larson                    Brooklyn, New York, USA                          MFA Yale 2007           

  

"Making Ends Meet" is a collaborative piece between Derek Larson and Mike Lyons. While 1,000 miles apart. The goal is to "Make Ends Meet" literally through the USUK opportunity & by the measurement of English automobile parts. The two sculptors will each build a piece that will connect at an X,Y,Z coordinant using Google SketchUP & an MG gasket for the synchronized joint.

Carrie Pheonix                   Suffolk, UK                                         USUK Coordinator

images coming soon      

John Rowlands                    London, UK                                               BFA Hons Wolverhampton  1986

       

Matt Sigmon                    Atlanta, Georgia, USA                   MFA Georgia State  in progress            

          After spending time experimenting with nontraditional mold making techniques for the purpose of manipulating and controlling the unpredictability of cast iron as it reacts in
wood and loose sand molds, I have decided to return to the traditional casting methods as they were used during the late 19th century and into the middle of the 20th century.

The visual aesthetics and forms within my work are directly derived from the functionality of industrial parts and the ornamentation of interior and exterior
classical architecture.

I think that the atmosphere and the influence of being surrounded by many different artists while at the USUK Cast Iron Sculpture Symposium would be a great way to bring new insight and invite varied dialogue exchanges that would shape my current
exploration.

Micheal Wickerson            Kansas, USA                           MFA York University, Cananda   2000

I propose to work on a series of large and small sculptures that are inspired by iron casting cupolas and bell towers.

These pre-steam engine designs will be constructed in ceramic and wood and will incorporate pre-cast iron bells and bronze wheels.

Bobby Zokaites                    Alfred, New York, USA                       BFA Alfred University, NY. 2008                 

images coming soon