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Unique pair of contemporary plaster panels in Baroque style by a Master artist

$68,647.11List Priceper set

About the Item

'Sea Garden' panels in plaster by British Master craftsman Geoffrey Preston MBE. The designs for this pair of decorative panels spring from the series of drawings the artist made for the The Goring. These particular designs were not used, so Preston made them into a pair of unique sculptural wall panels which are exclusively available. The decoration was modelled in clay onto a clay base, using fingers, thumbs and small boxwood tools. The clay base enabled him to draw into the background, as well as build up from it, which gives a greater depth and emphasis to the modelling. A silicon mould was made from the completed models, and one plaster cast was taken of each model, after which the moulds were destroyed. Preston uses Herculite No 2 plaster with burlap (hessian) and timber lathes to reinforce. The 'Sea Garden' panels are original works. The artist's aim is to use the fluid character of clay to make poetry in light and shadow in plaster. There is a strong influence of flowers and plant forms in his work, often in the context of architectural elements. He is conscious of proportion and the language of gesture, which is demonstrated in the flowing nature and harmony evident in his work. 'Sea Garden' is also influenced by marine botanical illustration, such as the work of the 19th century zoologist Ernst Haeckel. The seaweeds are commonly found on British shores and include Sea Belt, Bladderwrack, Purple Laver, Furbelows and Peacock’s Tail. Their serpentine shapes and long flowing curves echo the scrolling acanthus leaf shapes found in rococo decoration. Geoffrey Preston MBE is a Master of traditional plaster-relief techniques who draws on eighteenth-century decorative art and sculpture, but combines it with his contemporary eye for design. He cites Giacomo Serpotta of Sicily and Egid Qurin Asam of Bavaria as two of the greatest influences on his work, both of whom stretched the boundaries of what people thought possible to sculpt in plaster during the Late Baroque period. In addition, he admires painter Rex Whistler and wood engravers, Charles Tunnicliffe and Joan Hassall, for their mastery of light and shade, which echoes the effects he strives to achieve within his own work. While he has previously been commissioned for restoration projects in many great country houses of Britain and Ireland – he led the conservation of the stucco when Uppark House, West Sussex was almost destroyed by fire – he prefers not to replicate exactly what was there before, instead incorporating favourite birds, flowers or motifs of his clients in order to continue the personal narrative of the building. He also happily accepts contemporary architectural commissions, such as the Bar and Lounge of The Goring Hotel in Belgravia, London, where he and his small team created a wall of high-relief, sculptural plasterwork depicting mythical sea creatures and marine life. For the re-launch of Annabel’s club in Mayfair in 2018, Preston created a horse-size Flying Unicorn that hangs over the club’s stairwell. Helen Chislett Gallery represents artists, sculptors and makers across all disciplines.

Creator:
Geoffrey Preston MBE (Artist)
Dimensions:
Height: 90.95 in (231 cm)Width: 55.12 in (140 cm)Depth: 3.94 in (10 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Baroque (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Burlap,Plaster,Wood,Molded
Place of Origin:
United Kingdom
Period:
2010-
Date of Manufacture:
2019
Production Type:
New Custom(One of a Kind)
Estimated Production Time:
3-4 weeks
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU7993232440972

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