the figurine collection


The figurines in this collection are rough concrete re-casts of porcelain and plaster originals, hunted down in backwaters here and abroad, from Thrift stores in the Appalachian mountains to flea markets in France and Belgium and sea-side junk shops - and the search goes on!

Each figure is selected for its very particular character and design; some originals are beautifully sculpted, while others are crudely moulded;
some are mass-produced 1950s plasters, others are intricate Victorian porcelain. Sometimes they are ‘narrative’ figures, interpretations of historical or literary characters; others are latter-day versions of 18th century sculptures.
But they all have certain attributes in common – a special personality and stance plus interesting texture and detail in their costume.

These originals are re-interpreted in the borrowed language of hardcore industrial fabrication methods
and materials. Roughly cast black concrete is left with mould lines and flashing - evocative of large-scale civil engineered structures - deliberately evident.
This rawness is intriguingly at odds with the delicate, carefully detailed originals.

Through this transformation the figures adopt a monumental solemnity reminiscent of 18th and 19th century public sculpture. Raised onto monolithic
looking plinths they gain a further weight and gravitas in strange contradiction to their whimsical nature.

Placed in groups or ‘tableaux’ the figures seem to engage with each other, despite the variations in scale, and a strange rapport and sense of theatricality arises.

The figurines are named after the places the originals were found or sometimes after one of their special features.

The collection will continue to develop in an unpredictable and surprising way as more figurines join the assembly!

Each figurine is individually cast by hand and every
one comes out of the mould differently, making each cast quite individual. The concrete mix is also varied in terms of texture and colour.