Store

Flotsam Bawdsey Foreshore evolved from the artist's collection of shrubs washed up on the foreshore after storms. This root in particular held a particular fascination to her as it had become extraordinarily dry and brittle over time and had taken on an abstract form and texture that fascinated her, casting beautiful shadows as the light changed throughout the day. Just as her clay sculptures takes on a transformative appearance in the kiln, she was keen to preserve the essence of this piece forever in time so turned to bronze to achieve a unique surface through patination, giving the appearance of being dredged up from the river bed, weathered by time. The bronze was cast by Creative Construct Suffolk using a hand-built Ludo mould which would burn out in the Kiln over five days. It is not something Annie could explore through clay in its abstract form and, after a multitude of complex tests, she achieved the desired patination, using chemicals with heat very similar to glazes. Annie intends to explore the development of her ladder forms some of which would be too fragile in clay and the potential excites her. This one-off sculpture is significant in that it is the first piece in what she hopes will be a whole new series that sits side by side with her complex, mesmerizing clay sculptures.