10 Gram Challenge: Thomas Dane Gallery, St James's, SW1Y 6BN, London
As part of the fundraising efforts to restore its headquarters- Dora House, The Royal Society Sculptors has invited notable artists with longstanding ties with the Society to participate in the 10gram Challenge 2024. Participating artists were asked to create a small scale sculpture from a 10 gram wax block that would then be cast in bronze at the Milwyn Fine Art Foundry in Surrey.
The challenge culminates in a two-day exhibition that will be generously hosted by Thomas Dane Gallery on 23 and 24 October where these unique creations will be for sale. This event is also supported by Darbyshire, who are ongoing supporters as part of the Society's Suppliers' Circle, and Artelium.
The participating artists are: Rana Begum, Clare Burnett, Christopher le Brun, Sokari Douglas Camp, Ann Christopher, William Cobbing, Alexandre da Cunha, Richard Deacon, Laura Ford, Rachel Goodison, Antony Gormley, Nicola Hicks, Nick Hornby, Serena Korda, Michael Craig Martin, Polly Morgan, David Nash, Humphrey Ocean, Peter Randall Page, Vicken Parsons, Grayson Perry, Cathie Pilkington, Jacqueline Poncelet, Kathy Prendergast, William Pye, Saad Qureshi, Nathaniel Rackowe, Frances Richardson, Andrew Sabin, Rebecca Salter, Tim Shaw, Amy Stephens, Richard Stone, Almuth Tebbenhoff, Bernar Venet, Alison Wilding, Daphne Wright, Richard Wilson and Bill Woodrow.
Nick Hornby's Submission:
This object is a wearable ring—a 100x reduction of Rodin’s “The Age of Bronze,” scaled from 182.9 cm to 1.89 cm. Originally, Rodin was accused of body casting —here his work is re-cast to fit around the body—a finger. The sculptor’s hand has been fetishised, highlighting not only their skill and dexterity to carve and model but also their touch. The figure is extruded horizontally and intersected with the ring, projecting Rodin’s miniaturised sculpture through your finger. “The Age of Bronze” was controversial because, unlike more idealised figures, it was notably realistic (or “accurate”). I’ve taken his figure to another level of precision, digitally fabricated using EDM wire cutting, which is accurate to +/- 0.001 mm." This method delivers an unparalleled level of precision, bringing Rodin’s work into granular detail and the realm of contemporary technological process.
Bronze cut, approx. H: 2.5 cm x W: 2.5 cm x D: 1 cm
