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Simon the Sculptor

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Body Sculptures - Finishes

All of these body sculptures look like they are cast in metal, but in fact they are made from Glass Reinforced Plastic. The process allows me to incorporate various materials into the top layer of the sculpture to simulate different materials.

The main fillers I use are metal powders; once the sculpture is polished it looks like cast metal. The technique is so realistic that if I leave the "iron filled" sculptures out in the Manchester weather, they corrode like real iron!

This technique is much more adaptable and economical than the main alternative - casting in metal. The sculptures are also more robust than if they were cast in plaster or concrete, or carved in stone.

The photographs below show some examples of the finishes I have produced so far. In the near future I am planning to produce some other finishes, including:

- "copper"
- "nickle brass"
- "lead shot"
- "lead sheet" (very Anthony Gormley for the art experts)
- "grit" (stolen from the hills above Manchester)
- "metal-flake"
- "fish scales" (cut from old CDs)
- "popcorn" (because someone I know loves popcorn)
- "sequins"
- "sand" (maybe collected from a favourite beach)