Philip Hearsey, Phases, 2017, Bronze

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Bronze on a Cumbrian slate base Unique variation Stamped with monogram signature and uniquely numbered 713A The lunar crescent in … Read more Bronze on a Cumbrian slate base Unique variation Stamped with monogram signature and uniquely numbered 713A The lunar crescent in different positions on each face is finished with metal leaf Weight: 9.4 kg About Philip Hearsey With a background in architecture, interior and furniture design, Philip Hearsey is self-taught sculptor and specialised in sand casting to make pieces which engage the quality of bronze as a noble material in its own right. Sculptures are intimate in scale and intended for the interiors of home, office or hotel. Casting in sand moulds is a simple and ancient method far removed from the sophisticated lost wax operation used by most art foundries. The sand-casting process is relentless and unforgiving – the foundry is no place for a delicate original. It denies a complexity of form that imposes a disciplinary and enriching simplicity. The artist cuts, carves, grinds or welds the cast bronze to create unique forms before invariably exposing the natural bronze or oxidising to produce the unique surface finishes that have always been an essential dimension of my work. Bronze is eternal - yet malleable. Philip loves the stuff. In its natural state the tone and depth of colour is sublimely beautiful, yet the surface is endlessly receptive to the transformative effects of oxidisation. The sculptor is intrigued by the surface and the alchemy of patination. Not because of any obsession with technique which is difficult to master, but because of the challenging possibilities and the unpredictability of the outcome. The colouring is not a surface coating: It is fundamental, it is the surface. Philip Hearsey lives and works on the Welsh borders of Herefordshire - a beautiful place, still remote and largely unaltered, landlocked and very slow in change. This is in sharp contrast to the coast that he also loves where everything changes twice a day with the rise and fall of every tide. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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