ROBOTS

 

The block moved from the monolama saw to the robot now. It is a CNC driven robot with a diamond tipped head that roughs the sculpture out of the block.

The data was gained using the 1:5 model ( see 1^st page of this blog).

Usually , I do this work myself with a 9 inch grinder, but as the opening day is looming, I had to opt for this 21^st century approach, which is fascinating to watch.

Using the robot will give me enough time to concentrate on the rope areas, which will be carved “ old school”, with hammers and chisels.

 

QUARRIES

 

 

I went up into the mountains with Franco Petacci to visit his quarry.

The Carrara quarries are about 10 km from the coast, they literally take down the mountains which leaves a ragged landscape behind.

Marble has been quarried in this area for over 2000 years, and some of the most iconic marble statues carved come from these mountains.

Quarry work is hard and not for the faint hearted, and it takes skill and experience to find the right way to cut to get larger and un cracked  blocks out of the rock formation.

The marble is cut with diamond wire cutters, and nothing goes to waste - marble is almost 100% calcite, which is used from toothpaste to the production of steel.

in “the olden days” they roped the blocks into the valley and then further down to the marina in Carrara.

Many of the roads around here carry the name “via martiri di lavorare”, many men have lost their lives in these mountains.

  












 This is the wall where my block was quarried from
 

A slow start, but it's a start

Finally we have lift off.

After torrential downpours, and lightning strikes halting production in the factory for

 a day, we got some cutting done.

The first rough cuts are made on the monolama wire-cutter, and we hope to get the block into the hall to start the roughing 

out with a robotic cutting machine.

Franco Petacci, the owner of the quarry, has selected a beautiful block which will look great with the finish I plan for the 

sculpture.

Tools

Today it was time to assemble all the tools I need to produce the work in Carrara.

Most of the sculptors I know have a “tool fetish” , it is in the morning hours I go routinely through all the procedures and make lists in my mind, what all to take.

There is always something missing, but these tools should pretty much do it…

Carving at Maritime Museum Greenwich

HOUSE FOR A GORDIAN KNOT will have 4 zones with very intricate carvings of rope knots. I found beautifully carved marble rope on a statue at the Maritime Museum in Greenwich, it is the kind of carving I am having in mind for this new sculpture.

Production in Italy

Finally, we have a block, it measures about 2,4 x 1,6 x 1,3 m and weighs over 12 tons.

It will be pre cut in 2 stages, first, with a band saw for rough cutting, followed by a robotic pre cutting, that will follow the contours gained through the 1: 5 model.

Model Stages

This is the first draft model for the newly commissioned sculpture HOUSE FOR A GORDIAN KNOT.

The sculpture will be permanently sited at the New Jubilee Campus at the University in Nottingham.

It is specifically designed for the Institute for Mental Health, which is part of the Jubilee campus.

This blog will try to keep track of the production in Carrara, Italy.

HOUSE FOR A GORDIAN KNOT will be carved out of the famous white Carrara Marble, and the production has started in mid September at the Petacci Marble factory in Carrara.

Here the 2^nd model , which was finished during the summer in France. It is at scale 1:5  and will be used as a 3D model for the pre cutting of the marble block.