Feminist Public Sculpture Research Forum Thursday 4 July 3pm Blenheim Walk Gallery, Leeds Arts University, Leeds, LS2 9AQ Hazel is delighted to be joining Professor Griselda Pollock, Sharon Thomas, and Rachel Reeves for this free…
So on go the clothes, layer upon layer. The skirt needs a lot of clay so we build an armature that goes around her legs, liked a hooped petticoat. Then I spend hours adding the…
With Our Emmeline’s armature complete, there’s no time to waste. On goes the ceremonial first piece of clay. But with half a tonne of clay to add, I have to speed up. Fast enough for…
Tick. The first stage of the armature is done. The main scaffolding structure, including a ‘back iron’ to take the weight, is in place. From this early stage you get a strong sense of the…
It’s early February. The snow is on the ground. The funding gap for The Emmeline Pankhurst statue is bridged by the Government’s Centenary Fund (Centenary Cities). Time for celebration and the signing of my contract…
Following traditional best practice, I sculpt the Cracker Packer figures unclothed first. Why? If you think about the clothes you are wearing now, where do your clothes touch your body? Our bodies shape the clothing…
Did I mention the biscuit? The two Cracker Packers, from past and present, are standing atop my favourite – a Carr’s Table Water Biscuit. At 90cm wide, it’s a little larger than the ones I…
The work continues for several weeks on the detail of the armatures. It not only has to be strong, it has to be accurate, exactly reflecting the Cracker Packers maquette yet scaled-up. You can tell…
Clay is heavy so we need to build a strong metal frame or armature to support it. At this stage I usually work with the sculptor Mark Longworth who’s great at planning out a rigorous…
With the spirit of the Cracker Packers front of mind after the workshop, I am back in the studio working-up the design for the statue. I immerse myself – listening to the audio recordings of…
Emmeline Pankhurst’s own words explain: ‘Day by day our members went forth and held street meetings. Selecting a favourable spot, with a chair for a rostrum, one of us would ring a bell until people…
Much of the joy of sculpting for me is working with models. With a model you can test the pose and make adjustments. It brings an anatomical integrity. In essence, it breathes life into my…
