Materially Speaking

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comRenowned sculptor Alex Seton tells us about his journey from a rural Australian upbringing to becoming a prominent artist known for politically charged marble works. He speaks about how he became fascinated with marble at a very early age, and how he was influenced by his unconventional upbringing near an historic quarry.His family spent his childhood in the Australian bush with no electricity, a sawdust toilet and no hot water. He and his three brothers studied in a small local Catholic school. Alex and Sarah met in the studios of Massimo Galleni, which has been his studio in Pietrasanta for the last 15 years, where he was finishing up The Tenderness Series. We learn how his passion for social change inspires his work and leads him to use his art to explore themes of social engagement, privacy, and identity. Alex tells about a work he did for a sculpture competition in a hotel, which caused a visceral response from viewers - revealing those who had empathy for the homeless and those who reviled them. The piece is called Unsettled. Alex’s first shows included an installation where the gallery had their leather-topped benches replaced by marble versions, which all had bum prints in the marble. So when the visitor came into an empty gallery they would think “what am I looking at?”.Alex became well known for his series of cross-legged, hooded figures with hollowed out faces from 2012, which he presented at the Hong Kong Fair, just before it became Art Basel. The hoodie seemed to him an egalitarian garment - worn as readily by billionaire Mark Zuckerberg and by Martin Trayvon, the young man shot dead in Florida. Alex explains he can get obsessed with fashion items.Alex did a series of works during the pandemic, one of which one touched Sarah deeply. Proposal for a Humble Monument was inspired by how, in a place called Bathurst, convicts used to hack away and pull out big blocks of lime. Alex considered all the monuments around the world being pulled down because they reflect our shameful colonial past, and wondered what we might replace them with. He decided something more humble would be appropriate, and so the Proposal For a Humble Monument was named to honour the pain of those miners.Alex tells us how he came to name the piece Someone Died Trying To Have a Life Like Mine (2014) which pays respects to the many refugees whose lives were lost at sea trying to reach a better life.alexseton.cominstagram.com/alexseton_Massimo Galleni Studios, gallenimassimo.itSullivan + Strumpf Gallery, sullivanstrumpf.com

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comQuesto episodio continua anche il nostro desiderio di produrre un episodio per stagione in italiano.In keeping with our desire to produce one episode per season in Italian.Inoltre, ora avete la possibilità di guardare questo episodio come video o semplicemente ascoltare l'audio.In addition, you now have the option to watch this episode as a video below or on YouTube, with English subtitles, or simply listen to the audio, in Italian only.Nato a Roma, ma ora residente in Versilia, Giannelli è probabilmente famoso soprattutto per la sua gigantesca scultura Mr Arbitrium, alta oltre cinque metri, che sembra spingere via o sostenere gli edifici contro cui è appoggiata, a seconda del punto di vista dello spettatore.  Born in Rome, but now living in Versilia, Giannelli is probably best known for his giant sculpture, Mr Arbitrium, over five metres tall, which appears to be either pushing away or supporting the buildings it stands against - depending on the viewers’ point of view.  Questa ambiguità trasforma noi spettatori in protagonisti, mettendo in discussione le nostre convinzioni sul significato di queste strutture e sul nostro legame con esse. Diverse versioni di Mr Arbitrium sono state installate su edifici e chiese a Milano, Firenze, Lucca, Servezza, Carrara, Pietrasanta e persino in Ucraina.This ambiguity turns us as viewers into the protagonists, challenging our beliefs about the meaning of these structures and our connection to them. Versions of Mister Arbitrium have been installed against buildings and churches in Milan, Florence, Lucca, Servezza, Carrara, Pietrasanta and even Ukraine.Giannelli accoglie Mike sul prato della tenuta di famiglia, dove la sua serie di sculture in bronzo I Sospesi è appesa agli alberi e un simpatico labrador nero giace sull'erba.  Giannelli welcomes Mike on the lawn of the family estate, where his series of bronze sculptures I Sospesi hang from the trees, and a friendly black labrador lies on the grass. Emanuele è arrivato a Carrara a diciannove anni per studiare scultura all'Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara, stabilendosi qui in Versilia, dove la sua famiglia aveva vissuto nelle generazioni precedenti. All'Accademia ha scelto di lavorare l'argilla piuttosto che il marmo, per la flessibilità che offre e per la natura più concettuale del suo lavoro. Emanuele came to Carrara at nineteen to study sculpture at the Carrara Academy of Fine Arts, settling here in Versilia, where his family had lived in previous generations. At the Academy he chose to work in clay rather than marble, due to the flexibility it offers and the nature of his work being more conceptual.Giannelli racconta a Mike di come, in gioventù, abbia trascorso del tempo a New York, Londra e Berlino, subendo l'influenza della fantascienza, del cinema, dei graffiti, della musica elettronica e del punk rock. Alla fine è tornato a Pietrasanta, luogo più adatto per crescere una famiglia.Giannelli tells Mike how in his youth he spent time in New York, London and Berlin and was influenced by science fiction, cinema, graffiti, electronic music, and punk rock. Eventually he returned to Pietrasanta which was more conducive to raising a family.Ricorda la gioia di incontrare artigiani e visitare i laboratori che allora si trovavano nel centro di Pietrasanta. E gli piacevano anche le feste e la vita sociale con tanti giovani, soprattutto stranieri, tedeschi, francesi e americani.He recalls the joy of meeting artisans and visiting the workshops which were then in the centre of Pietrasanta. And he also enjoyed the parties and social life with lots of young people, especially foreigners, Germans, French, and Americans.The Watcher è una scultura che osserva il cielo con binocoli, cosa che gli esseri umani hanno sempre fatto. Tuttavia, ora, grazie alla tecnologia, sta cercando di guardare oltre. Emanuele afferma che “oltre” gli fa pensare anche alla spiritualità. The Watcher is a sculpture who looks up with binoculars at the sky, which is something humans have always done. However now, through technology, he is trying to look beyond. Emanuele says that ‘beyond’ also makes him think of spirituality.Un'altra opera che cita con un tema visionario è Korf, un uomo che sta in piedi davanti al suo monitor, con le braccia incrociate, lo sguardo rivolto verso l'alto, alla ricerca della sua visione e del suo futuro.Another work he mentions with a visionary theme is Korf, a man who stands watching on his monitor, arms crossed, gaze turned upwards, searching for his vision and his future.Emanuele afferma che, pur non credendo in un codice chiamato religione, crede molto negli esseri umani. Dice che, sebbene siamo animali e abbiamo un senso di autodistruzione, siamo animali straordinari. Le sue opere si collocano tra il figurativo e il concettuale, riflettendo sul periodo contemporaneo caratterizzato da cambiamenti incredibilmente rapidi. Emanuele says although he doesn't believe in a code called religion, he believes very much in human beings. He says that although we are animals, and have a sense of self-destruction, we are extraordinary animals. His works are pitched between figurative and conceptual, reflecting on the contemporary period of incredibly fast-moving change.emanuelegiannelli.itinstagram.com/emanuele.giannelli

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comOriginally from Zurich, Maja was always keen to leave Switzerland and with an Italian grandmother perhaps Italy was always going to be her destination. She moved to Italy in 1991.She speaks to us about how her approach to work has changed. When she was young she liked seeing the impression her hands made on the work, while now she seeks smoothness and perfection.We meet Maja at her home - Artists Hill - an old farmhouse, surrounded by olive groves and a huge vegetable garden, which she has renovated into a home, studios, and a part that she rents out.First Maja shows us the room where she draws, and then we move over to her new modelling studio, opposite the house.In the middle of this room, towering above her, is a spiral column. It’s a plastercast - soon to be realised in acrylic resin and earth.Maja tells us about a bas relief project in 16 panels called dressing. The question she originally posed was, “Can we change religion like clothes or is religion something inherent to us, you know, is it like part of us?"One of Maja’s first pieces was Extension of Ego and now it takes pride of place in her studio. Maja still loves it and it represents the theme she still develops of externalising human traits in her work.Labrynth is another of Maja’s pieces that follows the theme of a body’s outside reflecting what is inside.majathommen.chinstagram.com/thommenmaja

Guarda le foto e leggi di più su materiallyspeaking.comUrsula è nata a Seravezza e vive e lavora ancora nella zona di Pietrasanta e ha anche trascorso un periodo di apprendimento delle tecniche speciali di mosaico di Ravenna e Spilimbergo.Facciamo un giro nel suo studio e tra le sue numerose scatole di tessere.Quando le chiediamo quanto sia importante la luce nella composizione di un mosaico, Ursula ci spiega che una delle prime cose che fa quando accetta un incarico è vedere dove verrà collocato il mosaico.Le sue commissioni la portano in tutto il mondo e, quando l'abbiamo incontrata, era appena tornata da un lavoro a Filadelfia, negli Stati Uniti.Ursula ci racconta della sua formazione e di alcuni dei progetti speciali a cui ha lavorato, compreso il primo, per una sinagoga.Vedere i suoi lavori su Facebook “mosaici Ursula Corsi”facebook.com/mosaiciursulacorsiinstagram.com/mosaiciursulacorsiEnglish translationSee pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comUrsula was born in Seravezza and still lives and works in the Pietrasanta area and also spent a period learning the special mosaic techniques of Ravenna and Spilimbergo.However, her commissions take her all over the world and when we met her, she had just returned from a job in Philadelphia, USA.Ursula tells us about her education and some of the special projects she has worked on, including her first one, for a synagogue.Let's take a tour of his studio and his many boxes of tiles.When we ask her how important light is in the composition of a mosaic, Ursula explains that one of the first things she does when she accepts a commission is to see where the mosaic will be placed.

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comDutch artist Anne-Claire trained and worked as a lawyer until she followed her heart to become an artist. She moved to Pietrasanta, where she lived, and worked, for 15 years. Now she divides her time between the Hague and Pietrasanta.After the pandemic she was looking for a way to capture peoples’ thoughts and emotions in order to make a three-dimensional sculpture of them in clay. Having discovered that a traditional scanner was unable to grab the emotion she saw in a split second, Anne-Claire was happy to meet Claudio Giustiniani of ArtaxLab in Pietrasanta, who showed her how he used 30 Nikon cameras in conjunction with a 3-D printer. Working with Claudio she could get what she wanted and began her project to capture the emotions around the experience of COVID-19 called My Collection of Souls.To create her My Collection of Souls Anne-Claire talked to the person about COVID-19 and, at the exact moment she saw their strongest expression, she pressed the button on the cameras. Claudio and she discuss in this episode how they created the work - from taking the photograph through to the finished collection.Another collaboration Anne-Claire made was with photographer Gail Skoff.Gail came to this part of Italy in 2017 to photograph the quarries of Carrara but soon became fascinated by the artists working in marble. When she met Anne-Claire they instantly clicked, and embarked on a collaboration with Gail’s photographic collage technique. Gail likes to enter the world of the artist and elaborate on their process, creating more of an impression of the artist's work rather than its ultimate reality.Anne-Claire tells us how it was working with Gail and how happy she was to have Icarus flying.From her childhood, Anne-Claire was inspired by how Michelangelo expressed such soft emotions in hard marble. Below is a piece in tribute to him. Anne-Claire thought David’s victory over Goliath was an excellent metaphor for our battle and the optimism needed to succeed during COVID-19.anneclaire.nlinstagram.com/anneclairevandenelshoutArtAxlab aims to build a bridge between the artisan world and digital technologiesartaxlab.cominstagram.com/artaxlab

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comA sculptor and painter born in Damascus, Usama tells of the impact of being brought up in Syria and of continuously dealing with people from different religions with diverse ways of looking at things. Usama’s studio space, and home, is tucked away in the shadow of the statuario marble quarries. Usama bought the space in this historic marble area because he felt an urgency to build a stone amphitheatre there. Initially he dismissed the land because he feared flooding. But he worked non-stop his first winter to build his theatre. He tells us about his childhood and how it informed the person he’s become. His uncles are both sculptors and their books on marble, in his grandmother’s library, inspired him from a young age. First he studied art in Damascus, where he carved in wood, and then he came to Carrara to study sculpting in marble. Usama talks about his relationship with nature and his love of plants. He grew up in Syria with a family garden of fruit and vegetables, and always loved working in nature. He has planted many trees and plants in his Carrara home.Many of Usama’s pieces are inspired by immigration There’s a wall of marble blocks sculpted with luggage handles, straps and zips. He tells how immigrants who used to carry lots of luggage now find their luggage has become much smaller, sometimes even just a mobile phone.Usama created a series of sculptures of women depicting the life of women in the Middle East and their freedom to travel around. His sculptures explore how women have sometimes been transformed by religion into more of an icon than a person, and how this can also become a prison. However, they often find virtual freedom through the internet.This piece is a woman on one side and on the other side a horse, her hair represents an extension of her thoughts.Usama loves teaching and sharing his skills whilst allowing his students to develop their own personalities in their work.alnassar.itinstagram.com/alnassarsculpture

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comOriginally from Oregon, John moved around America a lot as a child. Although he was not formally schooled as an artist, he received his education at a young age while travelling with his family through Europe and the Middle East. There he took in many of the great works of antiquity.John came to sculpture in his thirties from a background in painting, and very quickly began carving monumental pieces which he was able to sell. It was at this time that he experienced a revelation when he began to imagine how stone carvers worked in the past.Although this technique is much less practised nowadays, he believes that for thousands of years sculptors worked without eye protection. They discovered what John refers to as profile carving. John describes himself as a direct, flexible, profile carver.The first piece John mentions is a big reclining figure which earned John enough money to allow him to come back to Pietrasanta and work. Recently the owner of that piece died and John was able to buy it back in an auction.John also tells of the gravestone he carved which is in the cemetery of Querceta, near Pietrasanta which is a Pieta of 5 life-size figures.Another piece, a pair of lovers, John carved from a special piece of marble he had kept for 16 years. As he was carving the embrace he had a moving experience as he felt them pushing themselves into each other, as though they couldn’t get close enough. Now John divides his time between the Redwood forests of California and Pietrasanta - drawing inspiration from the world around.He acknowledges a great debt to the cavatore, the quarrymen. Without quarrymen, artists don’t have the material to work with.johnfishersculpture.cominstagram.com/giovannipescatore51

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comSandy first came to Italy to be with her partner, the sculptor John Fisher, and enjoyed the influences of the Italian Renaissance, and the detailed work of the Baroque.From observing the sculptors she learned about shadow and light, negative shape and profile lines. However, she was offered a three month artist residency in a paper making village in Japan where she discovered an economy of stroke and a muted palette which inspired her to develop her work with paper.Gail and I met Sandy at Pescarella studios, in Vallechia, on the road from Pietrasanta towards Carrara. As we entered the large studio space, Sandy was calmly taping collages onto the wall, for a pop-up exhibition she was staging.Her beautiful collages feature fruits, wine bottles and inviting cups of cappuccino - with froth you can almost taste. There’s a three dimensional effect on wooden spoons that she has created with papers of different shades.On another work a tower of coffee cups leans so precariously I want to reach out and save them.Beside Sandy there’s a table heaped with fine, plain and patterned, papers carefully arranged by colour. She shows us some samples of the paper and talks about how they are made and tells us about her techniques.Sandy speaks about an ongoing series of womens’ portraits called Women in the World. In this project she aims to honour and recognise struggles and successes of notable women who have made a special contribution to the world. This life-long series includes visual artists, actors, musicians, scientists and political activists.On her birthday Sandy does a collage self-portrait to reflect on the year behind and the one ahead. She talks about her childhood and the words of wisdom she took from her father who escaped Germany in WW2 and came to America.sandyoppenheimercollage.cominstagram.com/sandyoppenheimer

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comOn 15th April, 2019 a catastrophic fire broke out in Notre Dame Cathedral. Parisians watched in horror as the spire fell and most of the roof was destroyed. In the aftermath it became clear that a large area was contaminated with toxic dust and lead.The iconic building, which has dominated the Île de la Cité island in Paris since the Middle Ages, is a national symbol not only for the French but for people all over the world. President Macron pledged to build back the cathedral as it was before, and as the planned reopening in December 2024 looms, a huge office structure has mushroomed around it and 500 workers are on site daily as the team race to rebuild it.The eyes of the world are watching, but Materially Speaking has a story for our ears - the story of its sound.As a sound specialist himself, Mike Axinn was fascinated when he discovered there is a group exploring the restoration of the acoustics at Notre Dame. He approached Brian F.G. Katz and David Poirier-Quinot at the Sorbonne, and their colleague, sound archeologist Mylène Pardoen, who is co-coordinator with Brian of the scientific acoustics team assisting the reconstruction of Notre Dame, and soon we were off to Paris to hear their stories. We first met Brian and David at a restaurant and then visited their simulator inside the Sorbonne to discover more.Notre Dame has a special role in western European music’s history and is generally thought of as the cradle of polyphony. Sarah was attracted to this angle as her father, Christopher Monk, was part of the Early Music movement which restored the use of the Renaissance cornett, a woodwind instrument well known in Monteverdi’s music. He also made and played serpents, long snake-shaped instruments that had a central role in music that was performed in Notre Dame many centuries ago. So she approached Volny Hostiou, one of France’s leading serpent players, and we were delighted when he and singer Thomas Van Essen agreed to join us in Paris for some experiments with Brian and David.We then jumped on a train to Lyon to meet with Mylène Pardoen and learn more about her work as one of the world’s foremost sound archaeologists, tasked with recording the sounds made by stone masons and other artisans in their work, and re-imagining the church’s soundscape at various points in its history.A key person driving the physical restoration is Pascal Prunet, Chief architect of historic monuments in France and part of the team in charge of restoring Notre-Dame. Prunet explains that their work in restoring the church has revealed many secrets about its construction and the work done by artisans. We were fortunate to hear how his team was able to discover things they never would have learned had it not been for the fire.As we obviously could not go inside Notre-Dame, Volny and Thomas then kindly arranged for us to hear them play in the Abbey of Rouen, built on a similar scale to nearby Rouen Cathedral, the abbey is famous for both its architecture and its large, unaltered Cavaillé-Coll organ. Here they talked to us about the serpent and their group Les Meslanges, showed us a serpent fresco on the ceiling of the Abbey and played in three different locations.Finally Mike takes us back to Brian and David’s simulator to compare and contrast the sound of the musicians live in the Abbey of Rouen, and their simulated version of how the music would sound at different historical periods of Notre-Dame’s history.Thanks also to Frédéric Ménissier who made a great video recording of our visit to the Abbaye of Rouen. You will be able to watch the result on YouTube @materiallyspeakingpodcast nearer the scheduled reopening of Notre Dame, in December 2024.Thanks and linksWe are very grateful to Brian, David, Mylène, Pascal, Volny and Thomas for giving so generously of their time and sharing their expertise and passion. You can learn more about their projects in the following links.Brian F.G. Katz & David Poirier-QuinotBrian Katz, originally from the U.S., is an acoustics specialist and leads the Sound Spaces research team. David Poirier-Quinot works with Brian and is a researcher, presently focused on sound spatialisation, perception, and room acoustics simulation for virtual and augmented realities.Beginning mid April 2024, The Past Has Ears project is launching Whispers of Notre Dame, ‘Ekko of Notre-Dame de Paris’, an immersive audio guide that transports listeners through time and space to the heart of Paris's most treasured landmark. Free on Google Play, Android and iOS. It can be listened to anywhere, but is best with GPS onsite at Notre Dame.ndwhispers.pasthasears.euMylène PardoenMusicologist and soundscape archaeologist Mylène records and recreates the sounds of the past. She is a scientific expert for the restoration of Notre-Dame - Co-coordinator of the Acoustics group. She is also designer, coordinator and manager of the Bretez and ESPHAISTOSS projects.Pascal PrunetChief architect of Historic Monuments responsible for the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris is noted for his work in the restoration of the Cathedrals of Paris, Nantes, Limoges, Nîmes, Arras and Cambrai, as well as the Opéra Garnier in Paris , Le Corbusier 's Villa Savoye and the Citadel of Lille. prunet-architecture.comVolny Hostiou & Thomas Van EssenMusicians specialising in performing compositions that were written for, and often performed for the first time in, Notre-Dame.Volny teaches tuba and serpent at the Rouen Conservatoire and creates projects in collaboration with the Musée de la Musique de Paris.Thomas is a musicologist, flautist and singer, dedicated to early music and founded Les Meslanges, one of the early music ensembles Volny plays in.Les Meslanges is supported by the French Ministry of Culture, the Regional Arts Council of Normandy, the Normandy Regional Government and the Rouen City Council. The ensemble is a member of FEVIS – the Federation of Specialised Vocal and Instrumental Ensembles.CreditsProducer: Sarah MonkProducer/Editor: Mike AxinnMusic: courtesy of Les Meslanges - Thomas van Essen & Volny Hostiou

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comThe flags are out, the bunting too, and the red and white mascot Burlamacco is everywhere as Viareggio eagerly awaits the start of Carnival. The trees are heavy with oranges, the sweet fried dough, chiacchiere, are in the pastry shops - there’s excitement in the air!Dating back to 1873, Viareggio’s Carnival attracts thousands of visitors each year to watch the enormous, intricate papier-mâché sculptures dance their way along the seaside promenade.From September through March the Citta del Carnevale - a circular complex with 16 hangars - is a hub of energy for the artisan community using boat-making skills from Viareggio, and artistic creativity from Pietrasanta. Last year we learnt how they use newspaper, along with flour and water paste, to create papier-mâché floats. But between the audience watching and the artists creating, there’s another community: hundreds of volunteers or 'figurants' who turn up to rehearse, rain or shine, each weekend, to form the colourful dancing troupes in front of the floats.So Mike and I are here to revisit the LeBigre family on the 20th anniversary of their La Compagnia del Carnevale to learn why their 200 volunteers return each year, and what impact one creative project can have on the wider community.For this episode we are also proud to collaborate with Celia & Enzo of Piazza Talk Lucca - a popular YouTube channel sharing how life is in Lucca, and in the Tuscan hills. Celia, a book restorer, and Enzo, a sea captain dived right in to volunteer behind the scenes with the Le Bigre family creating papier-mâché items for the float.Check out the videos they made of their behind the scenes experience volunteering with the Le Bigre family on their YouTube channel. LinksCarnival parades run through the end of February 2024. You can also visit the Cittadella museum during the rest of the year.Viareggio carnival info & ticketsinstagram.com/compagnia_del_carnevaleCelia & Enzo Youtube: Piazza Talk Lucca instagram.com/piazzatalkluccafacebook.com/piazzatalkluccaLe Bigreviareggio.ilcarnevale.comBenjamin Le Bigre’s theatre group in Parisinstagram.com/elodielebigre_babskininstagram.com/benlebCreditsProducer: Sarah MonkProducer/Editor: Mike AxinnMusic : courtesy of Audio NetworkGypsy World, Haris CustovicSpecial thanks to Linda Nari for sharing her vibrant photosCarnevale 2024 Facebook postinstagram.com/lindajezsek

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comGabriele talks to us about his upbringing in Genoa, his self-taught artistic training, his love for the history of art, and for photography.He explains the process of creating pebble mosaics, including the selection of stones and the use of lime mortar. He also discusses the importance of preserving the skills and techniques of mosaic making and the impact of climate change on the availability of materials.We met Gabriele in a city park called Campo Pisano – where Genoa once beat Pisa at the battle of Meloria, and confined more than 9,000 prisoners. Here he is restoring a memorial mosaic which was first made by Gabriele’s teacher Armando Porta. Further info and images on Wikipedia.For many centuries Genoa wielded enormous power as a maritime republic and was considered one of the wealthiest cities in the world. On our way to Gabriele’s studio he showed us the narrow streets and wonderful architecture, with layers of history.Liguria, is a region of northern Italy; a narrow strip bordered by sea on one side and densely wooded mountains on the other. The air here smells of salt from the sea, minerals from the rocks, and pine from the hills. Its traditional crafts are mostly inspired by materials from the sea and forests.Gabriele emphasises the need to pass on the craft to future generations. Gabriele's work is driven by his deep connection to nature and a desire to create beautiful and sustainable art.mosaicidiciottoli.itfacebook.com/mosaicidiciottoli

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comWe settle down to chat outside Robin Bell’s home at a sheltered table with a spectacular view of the sea, from Pisa to La Spezia, and the never ending horizon. An exterior storage space against a yellow wall reveals shelves laden with maquettes and sculptures in various stages of completion.Robin discusses his move from working with marble to bronze and his focus on creating larger sculptures. He shares stories about some of his notable commissions, including sculptures of Winston Churchill, Ulysses and the hockey star and Canadian politician, Ken Dryden.Robin talks about his Irish heritage and how he loves telling stories through his sculptures. He also describes his working process and how he immerses himself in the characters he sculpts. He recounts the preparations he took to sculpt a Canadian cutting horse called Peppy San, which took three years to make. Coming from a military family involved Robin in much travelling and he acknowledges the influence his grandfather’s pioneering spirit had on him. He reflects on how attached he is to the view of the horizon over the sea from his house near Pietrasanta. Nowadays Robin creates a drawing daily, which he posts on social media.instagram.com/bellrobinchRobin Bell on Facebook

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comThe long, narrow, glass-walled studio of Janice Mehlman is perched half way up the steep garden of her home, on a hillside near Pietrasanta.Many of her abstract photographs are hung on crisp white walls, and she welcomes us inside to look at some of her work from the last 30 years. She explains how she started as a photographer, focusing on black-and-white images of architecture. After creating an image that captured a chance moment of light on a discarded photographic proof in her waste bin, she started to incorporate objects into her compositions. She shows us her workbench, where she finds inspiration. When light from the window shines in, it illuminates a cornucopia of materials in every colour and texture. We see swimwear, hats, netting and fluorescent wrapping – all glittering in the morning sun.Janice explains how her work has evolved over the years, particularly in relation to her exploration of her sensuality and sexuality as a woman. She talks about using her own intimate garments and other objects to create compositions that reflect her inner soul.She also recounts how her work has responded to different experiences, such as the Covid-19 pandemic and shows us a few pieces from that series.We hear how she was inspired by a disastrous trip to Chicago to create one of her most acclaimed series of work, choosing to find the positive even in adversity.janicemehlman.orginstagram.com/janicemehlman

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comSteaven Richard evolved his craft as an apprentice to several artisan blacksmiths over many years and in many countries, before establishing his own atelier in Paris specialising in artistic metalworkSoon demand for his work, from architects and designers, grew - and he needed more space. To accommodate this, he moved to a large warehouse in Valenton and expanded his team of blacksmiths and metalworkers who combine traditional skills, and new technology.Atelier Steaven Richard has become famous for its artistic metalwork.  Prestigious designs include a bespoke metal floor for the studio of Karl Lagerfeld, the elevator doors for the Hotel de Paris in Monaco, and a ‘Steaven Richard’ limited edition bottle for Remy Martin.We started to interview him in front of his wall of gorgeous wall samples in a colourful array of textures, patinas and designs and then went through to the workshops. And we also tour his huge hangar-like workshop, which is buzzing with activity and the thrum of machinery.Enormous shelves hold sheets of carefully-labelled metals. There’s large-scale equipment, and workers hand-finishing on long benches. It’s artisans work on a grand-scale. We see some samples of his finished work.Mike Axinn and I took the train 50 km south of Paris, through the suburbs, to the dense wooded area of Bois le Roi, next to the forest of Fontainebleau. As the train slowed into the station, a bright blue sky is visible above the dense forest of wintry trees, and we see the lanky figure of Steaven waiting on the platform to greet us.steavenrichard.frinstagram.com/ateliersteavenrichard

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comXavier Montoy grew up in a family of doctors and was always keen on biology. When he chose an artistic route he wanted to focus attention on endangered insects to highlight how we should honour and conserve them.As part of our Paris series, Mike Axinn and I go to the 11th arrondissement of Paris to meet Xavier and see how he creates jewellery with the Sternocera beetle.Sternocera aequisignata live in Southeast Asia, especially in northeast Thailand. Their life cycle is two years, of which the period when they live above ground and reproduce and then die, lasts only a few weeks. Once a year, in September and October, villagers harvest and sort the elytra (fore-wings), and then Xavier sources them for his work.Xavier’s workshop is in the artisan complex at the Cité des Taillandiers, in rue des Taillandiers, where around twenty artists and artisans have workspaces thanks to an initiative of the mayor of the 11th who is working to support historic craft activities in the arrondissement.In his shared, neat workspace we find a magical display-box of beetles and butterflies, a case of jewellery tools and some 3D printing equipment. On a high shelf are some sheets of the precious material he has created from beetles in bright iridescent colours.xaviermontoy.cominstagram.com/xavier_montoy

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comJudith’s workshop is in the 10th arrondissement, tucked away in a courtyard behind huge iron gates where tall white buildings house workshops, and motorbikes and cars are squeezed against the walls. There are lines of plants in terracotta pots and a small white dog.Judith greets us in her office where a history of her instruments line one wall – some with painted gold detail and others with fine marquetry work in wood.She makes instruments on commission for professional and amateur musicians, ranging from promising students through to well-established performers, from all over the world. She also creates instruments for Swiss and French music conservatories and does restoration work on old viols.In her light and airy workshops, we find a large store of seasoned wood including many triangular shapes ready to form the instrument, and shelves holding a rich assortment of spirits, glues and waxes.She speaks about how she sources the wood in the Jura and how you can tell the age of the wood in an old instrument, and judge the climate over the years, through the stripes you see in the wood.There’s a half finished instrument in a vice on a workbench and Judith runs through the process of creating her instruments for us, each of which takes a couple of months to complete. All the tools of Judith’s craft line the walls, including a fine selection of blades.Judith talks of the pleasure both of making the instruments, and of hearing them play in the hands of their final owner.judithkraft.netIn 2018, Judith Kraft was named Maître d’Art by the French Minister of Culture.

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comSylvain always loved cooking and when he discovered a passion for working with metal and wood he trained so he could create kitchen knives for chefs.Mike Axinn and I travelled to Paris to meet four artisans. In the first of our series we talk with Sylvain Maenhout who took the decision to retrain as an artisan in his late 30s. Becoming an artisan has given him the ability to work from home and have a more balanced, family-centred life.Finding workspace in Paris has become increasingly expensive and, as in most cities, there are restrictions on noise and dust. So Sylvain Maenhout made the move to an eastern suburb, 10 kilometres out of town in Nogent sur Marne.We chatted with Sylvain about his background, and how he worked in business before choosing a different path as a blacksmith making kitchen knives. We visited Sylvain’s workshops – the first dedicated to metal work which had a 1950s rolling mill, anvil & hammer, and hydraulic press.He tells of his passion for forging and how he loves working both with metal and with wood. He explains how he sources his materials – steel from Germany and wood from suppliers who have already seasoned it.Then we go down to the basement workspace where he has a space for woodwork and knife assembly. In the house’s former coal room he shows us where he does the heat treatments, and sharpens the knives with Japanese wet stones.Sylvain tells about the range of knives he creates and his experiences talking with professional chefs and private customers.sylvain-m.frinstagram.com/sylvain.m.coutelier

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comThis spring Mike Axinn and I went to Paris to see how artisans are able to practise their craft in a vibrant, urban setting. We wanted to discover more about the relevance of traditional skills in a world of 21st century technologies.First we met Sylvain Maenhout who gave up a conventional career and moved his family out of central Paris to devote his life to making kitchen knives.Release date: 26 May 2023We also spoke with Judith Kraft who left America to establish herself in Paris as a Luthier, making viola da gambas. She tells of her process - from choosing the wood in the Jura to passing the instrument to its new owner and hearing it play in their hands.Release date: Summer 2023Then we visited Steaven Richard, whose passion for horses took him around the world as a blacksmith, discovering architecture that inspired his fine artistic metalwork. As demand for his work grew he moved to a larger facility where his team of blacksmiths and metalworkers combine traditional skills with new technology.Release date: Summer 2023Finally we met Xavier Montoy who grew up in a family of doctors and was always keen on biology. When he chose an artistic route he focussed on endangered insects to highlight their importance in the eco-system. He tells how his passion for insects led him to create jewellery with the Sternocera beetle.Release date: Summer 2023All of these artisans told us tales of transformation and spoke of sourcing and creating from their chosen materials with passion and purpose.

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comRon Mehlman grew up in Brooklyn and came to Pietrasanta in the 1980s. No materials are off limits in his quest for creating sculpture infused with spirit and life.As we settle down to talk by his warm log-burning stove, Ron describes the two walls of his studio with their alphabet of colourful abstract sculptures – created from stone, wood and bronze – each one perched on its own individual shelf. The project started as a way of making thin sketches out of the stones available in the area.Ron talks about his family from the Ukraine, his neighbourhood and his upbringing in New York. He tells of his student days, his teaching work and how he originally came to Pietrasanta with Janice, a photographer and now his wife.One piece which Ron discusses is an abstract metal piece called Drawing in Space. It reflects his upbringing in New York where he salvaged scrap to use in his art. This three dimensional piece is created from parts of tools used to copy a marble sculpture, as well as an old bicycle seat.He also spoke about a work created from a stone which he fell in love with and reminded him of an intricate, Chinese drawing of a landscape. He bought the broken stone, put it together and carved a landscape in front and behind it.Many of Ron’s sculptures play with light, and he works with the stone to reveal the geological formations and their intrinsic natural beauty.Ron shares his home on the edge of town with his wife the photographer Janice Mehlman – instagram.com/janicemehlman. It’s a pretty house on the hillside, with neat rows of vines below it and a stone studio with high glass windows set in the garden. The studio is surrounded by sculptures and stacks of stone waiting to be worked.ronmehlman.orginstagram.com/ronmehlman

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.comNicola Stagetti of Stagetti Studios in Pietrasanta, and Robin Sethi, the project coordinator from India, describe the creation of Pramashwar the Infinite.Artisan and studio head Nicola Stagetti spoke to us from his studios, where historic busts line the shelves and the familiar roar of his robot emanates from the next room. Nicola completed his art education in Pietrasanta and went on to become an apprentice in his father’s workshop, then called Stagetti & Cosci. In 1996 he changed the company name to Marble Studio Stagetti.Nicola approached this project with great passion. He talks about the joys and challenges of realising this piece of huge significance for the many followers of the holy saint in India. Nicola has been working on the project for the past three years from just one original photograph of the Indian saint who lived 100 years ago.Robin Sethi, the project co-ordinator from India, met us in the gardens of the Convent of San Francesco, which dates back to the 16th century and was once dedicated to prayer and meditation, but now offers community courses, conferences and internships, all in the area of the artsHe talks of his admiration for how Nicola skillfully replicated in marble the shoe that the Saint wore. The original shoe was handcrafted in leather with fine thread work.All photos by Gail Skoff: gailskoff.com – instagram.com/skoffupcloseStagetti StudiosFor Pramashwar The Infinite, visit Yogiraj Sarkar Godariwale Trust at ysgt.org