"Statement of Studio Practice"
The sculptural language is glyptic, the carved form; favouring full intersecting volumes that express an implied interior logic or structural anatomy. Surfaces vary from being textured to highly polished and sometimes even mirror like. They range in scale from the hand held to the monumental.
The working process is currently focussed on the discovery of the carved image under the headings of 'Encasement'; 'Dislocation'; and 'Surrogate' form. These are not subjective titles but they reflect the formal composition being contemplated.
Ideas are developed through an open minded and flexible design rationale that currently lends itself to the finished media of stone, granite or marble.
Drawing and the creation of maquettes are now a large part of the process. A wide range of materials and techniques are employed in order to allow the work to evolve including the traditional uses of clay, wax and plaster.
When working to commission it is usual for the sculptor to provide clients with some of these scaled drawings and models so that they have the full history of the design journey.
As in the case of musical abstractions, these sculptures are evocative not definitive of their subject. Forms are taken from organic sources and can include the human figure as well as other animal or plant structures. Contributory influences can effect how the subject matter is presented but there is the strongest imperative to avoid obvious narrative or any approach that limits the conceptual scope of the work. Some duality or ambiguity is essential in these sculptures and is valued by the sculptor as a device to inculcate different layers of meaning and to open up an opportunity for the individual viewer to contribute his/her own personal significance to each work.
Home Page :Michael Pegler - Sculptor