NICK BIBBY RECENT SCULPTURE

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "NICK BIBBY RECENT SCULPTURE"

Dinah Young
6 years ago
Views:

1 NICK BIBBY RECENT SCULPTURE

3 A TRULY MONUMENTAL BRONZE The creation of the monumental bronze sculpture, INDOMITABLE, depicting a life-size Kodiak Grizzly Bear, has been a mammoth undertaking, requiring the talents of Nick and over 100 skilled workers at Pangolin Editions foundry in Chalford, Gloucestershire, to bring to fruition. Commissioned by Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, Nick began by sculpting a 1/5th scale Grizzly Bear in water-based clay, which was then moulded and cast by Pangolin. This cast was laser scanned to provide computer data used to create an exact digital enlargement in urethane foam. This foam enlargement was then covered with a thin layer of wax by Pangolins talented modellers, to provide a key for the final layer of wax modelling clay added by Nick to sculpt the intense detail and texture of the finished piece. The completed monumental foam and wax sculpture was cut apart for moulding and casting into bronze. Cast in 12 separate sections and using over 2500lbs of bronze, the head and paws were cast using the cire perdu or, Lost Wax method, whilst the two body sections were cast using giant sand moulds. The various sections were subsequently welded together and the welds skilfully concealed prior to being patinated and attached to the massive fabricated sheet bronze and stainless steel plinth, using huge stainless steel bolts. Involving over 3,000 hours work by Nick and the team at Pangolin; weighing in at over 5000 lbs and towering to 15 feet in height, the finished bronze sculpture projects an almost unbelievable aura of power and majesty, deeply affecting all who see it. Produced in an edition of 3, a second cast has already been sold and is currently in production.

5 INDOMITABLE (MAQUETTE) KODIAK GRIZZLY BEAR 36 h 14 w

10 INDOMITABLE KODIAK GRIZZLY BEAR 180 h 70 w 65 d

13 A JOURNEY OF PASSION AND ADVENTURE

15 Many of the pieces in this collection were sculpted either in the runup to, during, or shortly after the 2012 London Olympics. So let s begin with Art as a competitive sport. Really? I hear you ask, but bear with me. There are many parallels. The endless hours, competing against oneself, honing abilities and building endurance. Racing towards the completed piece, images of that final, perfect, sculpture, clear and bright, driving one onwards, fighting exhaustion and self doubt in an attempt to achieve it, pushing oneself to the limit in an effort to attain that golden vision of perfection. Well the final push for the line has been made, and where I placed in the race for excellence is for you to decide! There have been many memorable moments along the way, but a few that spring to mind include: Receiving a phone call from Brown University, Rhode Island, asking whether I could sculpt a life size Kodiak Grizzly Bear, to stand outside their new Nelson Fitness Center. Both the one fifth scale maquette and the life-size bear (towering to fifteen feet tall on his bronze plinth) are included in this collection. The life-size bear will be unveiled in fall Bears, and Grizzlies in particular, have to be my favourite animal. Kodiak Grizzlies are the biggest bears in the world (and a subject with which I feel a certain affinity, being fairly large and grizzly myself) so this commission has been a dream come true! Visiting the Westmorland Show at last - school holidays were always spent in nearby Heversham. Sadly I was never able to attend, because the show is always held during the first week after the summer holidays. It was a magical day perfect weather, sandwiched between torrential rain the day before and after. The Westmorland show is a proper one-day agricultural show, jam-packed with livestock. I arrived with the specific intent of finding the biggest, most impressive Herdwick ram there and asking his owner to let me sculpt him. When I met George Harryman with his champion ram, I knew that I had found my subject a giant of a ram, strong and proud, with legs like tree trunks! Herdwicks have always held a special place in my heart - the breed that I most associate with my favourite place in the world the English Lake District. I also found the Shire mare, Lady Fiona that day. Watching her being groomed and prepped prior to showing, I was immediately struck by her beauty, so I started to take a few pictures. I saw her throughout the day, winning her class, breed, interbreed and finally show championships. By then I was hooked and knew that I had to sculpt her! I found out later that she has been the Shire Horse Societies, Shire of the Year on more than one occasion. Spending several hours walking the woods on his farm with Peter Gott. Watching his wild boar going about their daily lives gave me a wonderful sense of how it must have been when boar still roamed our native woodland, and confirmed my longheld desire to sculpt one of these magnificent animals. Spending a glorious summer afternoon in a Devon meadow with Freddie and his, Girls. Freddie, or Yeomadon Ferdinand, as he is more properly known, is a Red Ruby Devon bull, and what a bull! One of the most impressive beasts I have ever had the privilege to sculpt, with over 20 breed and interbreed championships to his name - more championships than any Red Ruby in history. He is an absolute mountain of muscle, but with such a sweet nature. His owners, Tony and Julie Benneworth, made me so welcome. That afternoon will be a memory that I will long cherish. Watching the wild Red Deer rut on the fringes of Dartmoor; their bellowing challenges echoing over the wooded valleys below. Meeting BBC Countryfile s Adam Henson and sculpting his famous Highland Bull, Eric. I regard myself as a very fortunate man, to have such a challenging yet fulfilling occupation. But this collection of new sculptures could not have been achieved alone. My thanks and gratitude must go to: Gerry Farrell and Edward Horswell, for their continuing support and faith in my work. Rungwe, Steve, Tristan and all at Pangolin Editions Foundry for meeting and often exceeding my very high expectations. The owners and handlers who generously gave of their time; enabling me to sculpt their wonderful animals. Steve and Ashley at Steve Russell Studios, for their beautiful photography. Wildlife photographers, Helge Schultz and Richard Austin, without whom my sculptures of a Wild Boar and The Emperor of Exmoor would not have been possible. But most importantly, my love and thanks must go to my family and friends (you know who you are!) Especially my beautiful wife and daughter, Clare and Emily, and my sister, Helen, for their unstinting love and support. My mother and father-in-law, Jean and Hugh, and my cousins, Dorothy, Jill and Bob. Hugh and Dorothy did not live to see the collection completed, but hopefully their many years of love, help and encouragement show in the work. And to all my friends, here and abroad, who have inspired and encouraged me during the last few years. Thank you! Nick Bibby: September 2013

16 ASH NIK-NAK MINIATURE (SILVER) WHITE PARK BULL 7 h 8 w

18 ASH NIK-NAK MINIATURE (BRONZE) WHITE PARK BULL 7 h 8 w

20 INGRID CRANE NOCTURNE 56 LARGE BLACK SOW 8 h 13 w

22 ALICE LEWIN DOROTHY 3 MIDDLE WHITE SOW 10 h 15 w

24 TRUFFLES (PLAQUE) MIDDLE WHITE 14 d

27 E.D. DEVON & CORNWALL LONGWOOL RAM 11 h 12 w

29 BLACKBROOK PHILOSOPHER BRITISH LONGHORN BULL 15 h 20 w

30 ERIC AIRIGH BHOIDHEACH OF ORMSARY HIGHLAND BULL 14 h 18 w

33 FREDDIE YEOMADON FERDINAND RED RUBY DEVON BULL 15 h 21 w

35 GRANGE FARM LADY FIONA SHIRE MARE 11 h 11 w

37 MOORTOWN COUNTRYMAN DARTMOOR PONY STALLION 17 h 14 w

38 HERDWICK RAM 11 h 12 w

41 OLD ENGLISH GAME COCK (BANTAM) 20 h 14 w

43 BERTIE SHIH-TZU 23 h 25 w

45 EMPEROR OF EXMOOR RED DEER STAG 16 h 14 w

47 WILD BOAR 12 h 15 w

48 HEROIC TORSO (MAQUETTE) 20.5 h 6 w

51 HEROIC TORSO 82 h 24 w

52 PANGOLIN EDITIONS

SCULPTURE SEPTEMBER 2017 BROCHURE

SCULPTURE SEPTEMBER 2017 BROCHURE The natural world is endlessly fascinating and beautiful - it will alway be my main source of inspiration. ANTHONY SMITH A fascination for Natural History has been the