I spent the whole month of March working with artist Will Datson on a very exciting sculpture for the National Trust estate Croome Court.
Will was asked to display some late 18th century mahogany chairs that belonged to the estate and highlight their wonderful structure and shape. He decided to make 14 replicas of these chairs in metal and jesmonite (safe alternative to fibre glass made in England ) and to display them in 4 stacks that seem unstable and ready to collapse, all around these beautiful chairs.
The process was quite new to me and involved making silicone moulds to cast some jesmonite panels, gluing the panels, filling gaps with jesmonite, welding chair together, finding the balancing point for the different stacks, and polishing the lot with bee’s wax.
The sculpture was installed in the Croome Court estate on the 19th of May and will be in the main hall for several years. Go and have a look!
Jean Goubert 