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Art Junction is a studio in Billingshurst, an Aladdin’s cave of all things sculpture – evidence of life class clay sculptures, silicone mould-making and portrait sculpture abound, together with resin casting and an industrial-size kiln for ceramic firing, all in a spacious series of studios located conveniently near Billingshurst station. It is run by Marji Talbot, a very knowledgeable and hands-on member of the team who strives to provide a “customisable art school experience to sculptors and artists of all standards”.
Not having been a student for many years, this was heartening to read, as it proved to take a bit of adjustment for me to get started. But after a talk about abstraction in sculpture and under the thoughtful and steady tutelage of Michael Joseph, the whole group was soon focussed and became totally immersed in the design and production process.
We were a small group of wannabe abstract sculptors; a happy mix of those who had been sculpting for a while, including another fellow SSS member, Sue Ribbans, and those who were completely new to sculpture. But as none of us had worked in these materials or at this scale before, we were all very much on a level playing field!
The design process began by making a small clay maquette before scaling up to a 3m3 polystyrene block using hot wire to sculpt. It is a relatively easy material to shape and was satisfying in its immediacy although having not done much reductive sculpture recently, it took a while for the old grey matter to grind into action…thankfully Michael, with his engineering knowledge, was there to help us!
The final process involved covering the ‘sculpted’ polystyrene with layers of Jesmonite, to create a solid and weatherproof surface. This stage was akin to plastering which I found engrossing and surprisingly enjoyable! At this stage, the studio went quiet with everyone determined to finish their work before the end of the week. The outcome was impressive. All the pieces created were completely different in style but all were successful and the general consensus was our surprise with what we had managed to achieve in just a week.
Art Junction, Epstein House, Daux Road, Billingshurst, RH14 9TF
Michael Joseph tutors other courses at Art Junction and there are many more sculptural and artistic opportunities to explore there. An artist never stops learning!
Abstract Garden Sculpture
An Art Junction course led by Michael Joseph
by Miranda Barber