Bronze Couples Sculptures

With my figurative bronze sculptures, the relationship between two humans features foremost. Some of these sculptures clearly depict heterosexual couples (“Couple Side by Side,” “Huddling”); some hint at it lightly (“Big Embrace,” “Etruscan Couple 1 & 2”); and others are either more abstract or intentionally ambiguous in their genders.

I use different styles to describe these couples: realistic or naturalistic; abstract-linear (“Flying Couple,” “Coming Together, Dancing Apart,” “Standing Together”); and a combination of the two (“Walking Forwards”).

With my naturalistic couples, I seek an earthy, affectionate expression, describing everyday couples that are neither “pretty” nor “fashionable” or idealized, but are more natural. These individuals might be a bit small in stature or have bellies rather than follow diets to appear fashionably slim.

With “Large Embrace,” the choice of the original material was influenced by my carving of limestone from Bath; I imagined a couple encased and squashed together in the material. The carving process accounted for the extreme closeness of this couple in a squeezing embrace.

Working towards a public sculpture (“Walking Forwards,” installed in front of Northampton Hospital) and creating smaller clay sketches for it (“Standing Together”) led me to choose a more abstract style. Nudity is often discouraged in public spaces in the UK, and I don’t enjoy sculpting dressed realistic figures. The more abstract style lends itself to expressing universal truths about relationships—mutual support, emotional closeness, empathy—rather than the particulars of specific people.

Speaking of the psychology of relationships, my sculptures describe a whole range of emotions: from passion to tenderness, support, trust, casual togetherness (“being an item”), collaboration, and closeness versus separateness.