Binkley Begins a New Abstract

I began working on another abstract sculpture last summer, but after only one day of carving, I put it aside until a few days ago. I’ve been inspired to finish the piece.

It is one of the last remaining off-cut pieces of Carrara statuario marble from my Queen Mary 2 commission from 2003. Statuario is coveted as a sculptural marble because of its pure white colour. However, in the quarry, the pure white is bordered by veins of grey which most sculptors do not like. I, on the other hand, do like the colouring as I feel it makes the marble look natural and a work of Mother Nature.

From left to right above, you can see the progression of the form from diamond saw blade cuts to a smooth surface. When I began the work I could not lift the block, but now its down to about 175 pounds, so it is manageable to move around. I drilled a mounting hole in the sculpture today and am using a temporary base to hold the sculpture upright so I can refine the details I could not see while it was lying on its side. I find it crucial to have a sculpture in the proper orientation for me to do the final detail work. I just cannot accomplish this task with a vertical composition laying horizontal. You can see some black marks that I’ve put on the stone to guide me in changing a few edges that need to be worked tomorrow – details I could not see until the piece was standing properly.

Stay tuned for the finished piece soon…