I was contacted by Mike Daman asking if I would be interested in making an installation based on a hypothetical Jazz band almost a 'Super Group' in the 70's tradition. As a self confessed Beard Twiddling Muso this seemed a dream job. But who to recruit into the band? I wanted a feeling of power and motion in the ensemble, so I ploughed through my dreadful CD collection for inspiration.

Feeling that it was time for my human figures to really come to life, and that music is the food of life.

Here is a photo of the finished installation, what could be more satisfying than a Jazz band on a summer's afternoon? The band are made in mild steel with a thin coat of rust coated in varnish, note from the three pictures below how the colour changes according to the light.

Lastly we have the Bass player performing by himself. Pictured later in the day

I have used the same style as in other human sculptures, but have enlarged them and used heavier gauge steel. The figures are all based on photographs of well known jazz musicians.

This was a good project for me as I listen to a lot of Jazz when I am working, typically Miles Davies in his electric period . Especially the album Dark magus, a truly evil hideous noise.

The sculptures are all based on real photographs of musicians I listen to when working.

The first sculpture is of Miles Davies in a typically relaxed pose. An interesting I spoted during this piece of work is that you never see Miles throwing himself around as so many musicians do, he always looked calm and focussed, in contrast to some of the music he played.

The next in the series is Ella Fitzgerald, here I was after contrasting the slimness of the musicians with Ella's massive stage presence and her ample curves. this was a first for me, making a human sculpture with lots of curves. I was pleased with this as I definitely go the shape I was looking for, big, graceful and muscular.  Look at her thighs.

Since taking the picture I have added her microphone lead lashing around which gives a great feeling of motion.

Here is a closeup picture of her microphone and hand.

The next sculpture is based on picture of John Coltrane giving it some welly on the saxophone.

The mountings on all of these artworks is based on a simple hoop that can be dug into the ground providing a secure and invisible way of fixing them to the ground.

The next job is to make the trombonist and Bass player. First up is the trombonist. Based on a picture of Joseph Bowie, the demon trombonist from the New York jazz funk collective Defunkt, (note to all muso's highly reccomended)

Then we have the Double Bassist, modelled on Stanley Clarke

The last job is to get them all rusted with ammonium chloride and lacquered. Below is a closeup of Ella after this process. A great low maintenance finish for outdoor sculpture.

 

These sculptures are made to commision but I am able to make more pieces in this style, and could possibly scale them up even more.

Since making these I was asked if I could make a smaller version in stainless steel, this was made as a memorial to and old Jazz head, and measured in at 120cm tall..

                                                              contact

                                                      artinsteel@tiscali.co.uk

                                         or call 075905 80853  or 01989 563153