Train station sculpture 2011

From little things...This concept drawing is the beginning of the long process that is the creation of a sculpture by Grant. It is the latest large-scale project to be embarked upon; and the first on our bush block. It is a public commission for a train station in Melbourne.

The following few posts will bring you up to date with what has occurred so far...





The polystyrene arrives...a vast amount is needed to carve the shape and will become the core of the sculpture. It makes it light weight and therefore easier to transport and build than using other materials.

The blocks are stuck together with glue and the first rough carvings are made using a hot wire which slices through the polystrene like a knife through butter.

For the next step, a rasp is used to refine the shape. A lot of polystyrene shavings float around the studio making it look like a snow field.

The pods under the sky light

The pods are cut in two and Mark Cowie, sculptor's assistant, carves out a space to fit the pod to the steel frame, or armature.

The studio is vastly too low to house the sculpture while it is being constructed, so after much deliberation and research, Grant hired scaffold and errected it next to the studio. It has a tarp over the top to keep off the rain and falling debris from the surrounding gum trees and looks amazing in the bush at 7 metres high, 7 metres long and 8 metres wide.