<<<< marbles

This is one of the pieces of work I completed during my residency in Beijing in July 2003.

Although SARS had gone by July it was still on many peoples minds and had been much on my mind prior to my going. So the first piece of work I completed , coronavirus proteinase modification, was derived from scientific models I had of the coronavirus proteinase (an enzyme involved in the replication of viruses) which I used as the starting point for my own 'mutation' carving in white Beijing marble. The carving was presented when finished as a 'jia shan shi', a 'fake mountain stone', which are very popular in China (to the point of being seen almost as kitsch) where an interestingly shaped rock is mounted on a specially made wooden plinth or placed in a garden or park. To be viewed purely as beautiful in itself without man's intervention through carving or sculpture. This tradition appeals to me as an artist working with stone especially as it seems to have no parallel in Europe. Ironically I also caught a cold in Beijing whilst carving this piece, SARS being a mutation of the coronavirus/'common cold' virus.

White Beijing marble incidentally is a wonderfully pure white without flecks or impurities, the kind of pure white that I think is now difficult to find in Europe, due to it having all been used in the Classical  Renaissance and neo-classical periods. The wooden base was custom made by a local craftsmen to the exact size and shape of the stone base as is common practice with this type of ornament.

I left this sculpture in Beijing as I had swapped it with resident sculptor Li Gang for one of his amazing bronze shoe castings. He really seemed to like this piece.