The Artistry of Sculpture by Nicholas A. Price
Whilst paintings form an important element of my earlier artistic endeavours and still hold a special place in my heart, I always loved the opportunities and scope provided by the three-dimensional. I find sculpture a powerful and highly expressive medium and almost without boundaries, save the sheer size and impracticality of ones dreams and aspirations!
At first I sculpted in metal, copper, aluminium, and stainless steel, often creating pieces containing all three. I further produced and still create individual jewellery pieces in aluminium and sterling silver.
My next evolution was towards natural materials and hardwood was to become the basis of these works. In the past I looked at the possible limitations considering the longevity of such materials, however recalled beautiful examples of wood sculpture at The Louvre dating back to the Egyptian early 5th Dynasty and how the sculptor gained such freedom of expression over the carving and sculpting of stone.
I began to create furniture pieces in wood, both whimsical and practical and these evolved into a new body of sculptural work quite different from my metal sculptures and yet still holding many of my original individual nuances and ideas.
Hardwood itself is a touchy subject from an environmental point of view and after travelling through West Africa I noticed the extensive use of precious woods such as teak and mahogany, often these arrived from the slaughter of important forests and I wanted no part in the exploitation of such materials. Instead I decided to work with American timber such as cherry, maple, oak, cedar and camphor. I source these from trees that are lost to natural causes such as weather and occasionally ‘progress’ as it is termed. Although limited by the availability of such material I have been successful in acquiring, good quality supplies. Camphor and cedar provide wonderful natural aromas as well as diverse and individual colouring, whilst cherry and oak provide incredibly beautiful and durable timber.
To date I have created furniture from sycamore, cherry and oak and sculptures from cherry, camphor, oak and cedar. Recently I have started work on red maple. Each of my sculptures is individual, I never create replicas or subcontract any work away from my own hands. These sculptures are treated with natural finishes and oils and I shy away from harmful epoxy, solvents, stains and glue. Generally I create my sculptures on an individual basis and some are still available for acquisition, in the right circumstances I will undertake special commissions on request.
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