Amanda Hughes - Port Lympne Artist-in-Residence blog entry 14. The Handover.

21/10/11

The finished sculpture has now been moved down to Base camp, which will be its home for the next year,  and I have secured it into place with horseshoe type pins over the feet plates.

I have decided to use the Latin name of the Black Rhino; "Diceros bicornis michaeli",  as this uniquely identifies the Black Rhino as the sub species that has the prehensile lip. Together with the name of the Rhino I based the piece on; "Rukwa".... talking of which...Rukwa was actually checking out the piece as I was pinning it down!

After setting up the working drawings and the 'Gifted' picture at Carnivore Territory, I was ready for the 'Official Handover', where I would meet Bob O'Connor, the Director of the Zoo Park, for photographs and to hand the Rhino over to Port Lympne for a year.

I must say, it was manic! I have never been so photographed or interviewed in my life! Bob and I were pose-able dummies for half an hour, which was quite fun and he was in good spirits with the whole scenario. I was lucky enough to have my family and University peers present, as well as the PR staff from the zoo. The handover was a very successful event, the weather was kind and the sun was shining, I could not have wished for a better day!

I would like to thank Pure Arts group for the support I received and the PR staff at the foundation and Bob O'Connor for his time. I would also like to thank the Rhino keepers for their help with foraging and access to areas and staff whom supplied me with hot coffee when it was cold as well as the friendly grounds staff who watched the build with great interest. It was a real privilege to be based at one of the most beautiful parks in Kent to produce a sculpture of such a remarkable and tender animal. I hope it justifies this endangered species and gives the park and general public visual pleasure.

Now, what next???....Watch this space!

Amanda x

Amanda Hughes - Port Lympne Artist-in-Residence blog entry 13

07/09/11

Throughout the week I have been weaving the Rhino frame in preparation of finishing on Friday, as the Rhino shed is going to be renovated prior to the Rhino's return for the Winter.

With some help from my relatives, we collected a mass of Hazel, so I could crack on with the weaving process. I found the thicker pieces hard to manipulate, so there was a lot of cutting, bending and brute force to apply the heavier pieces to the frame.

I used a sharp pair of secateurs, a pair of loppers, a hammer and a pair of gloves to work with the hazel.

This part of the project is exciting as the piece suddenly becomes more solid and comes to life, creating it's own character due to the organic formal elements of the Hazel that create the shapes.

I tend to look at the individual pieces of wood and try to utilise the natural forms to mirror the curves of the particular subject, which I view as abstracted parts of the Rhinos anatomy.

Whilst I am weaving the frame, I reflect on the piece and take photographs so that areas do not get over worked and keeping aware of where the weight falls and the skin folds undulate.

Now the piece is essentially finished, I will move it out of the shed to take photographs, which can be processed into postcards, for the park to sell, with the help of Pure Arts Group.

The piece will then be moved down into the arranged site at base-camp on Tuesday 11th with a trailer, where I will attach it to the floor using horseshoe type pins and then add a little more weaving to the legs to finish it off and hide the pins.

.....I hope Rukwa will like her new friend next to her paddock...

Amanda x

Amanda Hughes - Port Lympne Artist-in-Residence blog entry 12

04/09/11

Once the welding was finished I tidied up the frame with an angle grinder, which I scuff the metal with to aid rusting. I aim to have the frame rust coloured and will wait for the metal to oxidise, then I will treat it with an oil application to hold the colour and rust in place, plus this aids the longevity of the sculpture and produces a natural color which works well with the wood.

I am now ready to proceeded with weaving the framework with the Hazel collected, using the heavier pieces to pack out the ribs, to give weight and form, without over working it, as I aim to keep the weave loose to create an illusion of fragility, relating back to the fragility of the species as a whole.

I feel the piece will need another week for weaving and collection of Hazel, which I will forage from the plantation on site.

This type of fauna is fed to the Rhino's to prevent ailments of the liver, so this material links directly to the piece in question.

Amanda x

Editors note: The Weather is now turning autumnal and Rukwa will need his shed back, therefore, Amanda is reaching the closing phase of this sculpture and her residency at Port Lympne.

The Completed sculpture will go on show to the public at Port Lympne in front of Basecamp in time for October Half Term.





To see working drawings and images that evolve from this residency, please go to the Amanda Hughes Gallery at www.puregallery.org

Amanda Hughes - Port Lympne Artist-in-Residence blog entry 11

30/09/11

Returning to Rhino ears...

To get the right shape of the ear I studied the images of the Rhino's at different angles closely. I then created a simplistic sketch which I then replicated with card. This could then be held to the head of the sculpture, allowing me to tweak any measurements and shapes prior to using the mild steel sheet.
When I felt happy with the size and character of the ears, I drew the shape onto the steel and cut them out using a plasma cutter (thanks to Ian in the mechanic's shed at Port Lympne). I curved these round by hand, mimicking the cardboard prototype ears and welded them onto the frame.

I then proceeded to weld any areas that needed extra form and structure, completing the welding process prior to weaving Hazel whips into the frame to give a heavier anatomy.

As I began creating the eye area, I felt it needed a pupil shape, as the Rhino's have amazing eyes that look right at you. For this I decided to use pennies for the shape and as a metaphor of how the animals have been viewed as money when they are killed for their horns.



More to follow....

Amanda x