Stainless Steel Sculpture Wins Coveted Commission
Used in the creation of everything from giant buildings and bridges to the tiniest and most precise surgical instruments, stainless steel is truly one of the most (if not THE most) versatile material on the planet. Its innate strength and formability also make it a material that is prized by an ever-growing number of artists, who use it to create beautiful sculptures. One such artist recently hit the headlines after her work beat out the competition to win a commission on a brand new television show.
Clare Bigger, an artist and mother who lives and works in the Ribble Valley (not too far from us here at BS Stainless!) took part in the first programme of a new TV series on BBC1 . Entitled 'Home Is Where the Art Is' and presented by Nick Knowles, the show pits three artists against one another to suggest ideas for a commissioned piece for a mystery buyer. The buyer then chooses their favourite from the three.
In the pilot show, a buyer from Silverdale wanted to commission a piece of art based on her horse, who is named Dragon. After suffering a horrific accident, the buyer was helped hugely in her recovery by her beloved Dragon and she wanted to honour the horse by having a unique statue of him created. The three artists got to meet Dragon and also were given a peek into the owner's house to get an idea of the style of art that she enjoys. Clare's design, rendered in stainless steel, was eventually chosen by the buyer.
Clare's love of sculpture began when she was in primary school, with her first piece made there using papier mache. She went on to study art in Cardiff, where she found that using traditional sculpting materials like stone, clay and wood did not allow her to convey movement. After much experimentation, she settled on stainless steel as her preferred medium as she felt it allowed her to best capture 'what can't be caught... air, lightness and movement'.
Clare's most famous piece of work is 'Spirit of Wigan' which, towering to a height of 10 metres and placed prominently at the town's Landgate Roundabout, creates a welcoming arch. At the base of the arch are two figures which 'represent the men and women that worked within the cotton and coal industries, establishing the foundations of Wigan.'
As suppliers of stainless steel materials to renowned artists like Candice Bees and Robin Wight, among others, we here at BS Stainless are extremely excited to see sculptures like this being brought to a wider audience through new television shows like 'Home Is Where The Art Is'.
If this article has got you feeling artistic then why not have a go yourself? We can supply you with all of the stainless steel materials you will need to complete a high quality job so browse our website and get started today!