I wanted to use recycled metal as my environmental stance would appreciate this. To start with I used bought nuggets of pewter but then melted the tankards.
I investigated the different surfaces that i could pour the molten pewter onto to then draw it into shapes using metal nails. The best surface was wood as it gave the pewter enough surface to adhere to and not roll off. Without this surface the pewter forms beads.
To make the black card look like a metallic surface I rubbed dried clay onto it. It also looked like the muddy walls of a cave. The pewter fissures could be sparkling gaps through the wall into the unknown like Paul Pettit’s suggestion that humans thought the gaps lead to the spirit world. Most people though thought the pewter were drawings of abstract metal insects. I like that the audience can have completely different interpretations to mine. It makes the art work interesting to place.
We organised a Draw event and Silvia invited Paul Pettit to speak. I introduced our caving residencies and our hollow chambers exhibition. Speaking to such a large group as an artist was knew to me. The others gave me information on what they wanted me to say about their work and I spoke about the trips and caving. T think this mixture of reading from a script and talking personally to the audience worked well and I will use that format in the future.
Lucy George 