The sculpture is made in gilding metal. I developed the design using a series of card models. From there I worked out the blank for the various parts on paper, then in card and then transferred it to the gilding metal marking it out carefully with a ruler and scribe. To achieve the quality of edge I wanted I needed to fold the pattern up. To do this I needed two scoring tools, one at 45o with a flat side, the other at 90o, which I made and case hardened. Then I scored it, folded it and ran silver soldered along the folds to strengthen it. Cut the blanks out for the contoured surfaces fitted and silvered soldered them on. The piece comprises of five separate components that fit, key and screw together to form the whole structure.
At the time I made it, 1985, Richard Hughes was one of my tutors at Camberwell and with his encouragement I prepared a patina recipe. I applied it by hand, with a brass brush, to the polished metal working the mixture in a circular motion until the desired finish emerged. It looked more like a knotty, red, wood than metal.
Now, after 35 years, the patina has matured into a lovely soft, charcoal black with the original patina still intact in places.