Bronze medal 2012
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Vespa Crabro Bronze Longest dimension 800mm -
Vespa Crabro Bronze Longest dimension 800mm -
Vespa Crabro Side view Bronze Longest dimension 800mm -
Vespa Crabro Installation view at Goldsmiths Centre London 2013 -
Vespa Crabro installation at Surprise Sculptures Exhibition Goldsmiths Centre London 2013Photograph: Georgina Shepherd -
Vespa Crabro installation at Surprise Sculptures Exhibition Goldsmiths Centre London 2013Photograph: Georgina Shepherd
Process
My miscellaneous collection of found insects includes a single hornet, and this medal began with detailed observation drawings of this insect. The hornet sketch was etched into acrylic, and from this a wax mould was made. Through the lost wax technique the drawn line became a visual record held in bronze. The shape of the medal references the jagged edges of a shard of sedimentary rock. One side is similar to the natural surface of a stone fragment whilst the reverse reveals the ‘fossil’ or residue of the hornet drawing.
Research
The starting point for this bronze medal was inspired by a fossil in the collection of The Natural History Museum which is thought to be the world’s oldest flying insect fossil. This indicates that there may have been winged insects as early as 400 million years ago. Rock and fossil formation were also investigated.