report - Winston Churchill Memorial Trust

Transcription

Nyree L. Smith, 2001 Churchill Fellow
Fellowship Report
4/3/03
F E L L O W S H I P R E P O R T
N y r e e L . S m i t h
2 0 0 1 C h u r c h i l l F e l l o w
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Fellowship Report
4/3/03
I N D E X :
E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y
G E N E R A L N O T E S A B O U T S P A I N
P R O J E C T D E S C R I P T I O N
Centro de Lenguas Intercambio- Seville, 16/4- 29/4
Spanish tuition, Lùis Quimisò Toledo, 18/5- 29/6
Paco Ojeda SL, Lucena, Jaen, 2/5
Marto, Toledo, 11/5+16/4
Franscisco Rodriguez, Toledo,15/5-14/7
La Escuela de Arte and Gabriel Cruz Marcos,
Toledo, 15/5, 29/5, 30/5, 6/6
La Mesquita de las Tornerias; Gallery and Centre for Art
and Los Gremios Artesanos, Toledo, 23/5
Roman Sanchez Torija, Noez, 25/5, 14+15/6
El Albero y Nono Martin, Alcaudete de la Jara, 26/5
José Augusto (demasquinado artist), Toledo, 9/6
La Escuela Taller de Restauracion de Toledo, 18/6- 13/7
Queens Collection, James Jackson, London, 31/7- 10/8
Victoria and Albert Museum, Simon Metcalf, London, 1/8
Richard Quinnel, London, 11/8
Ignacio Cruz, Hierros De Antequera, 17/8- 19/8
Galleries/ Museums Visited
Other Places Visited of Importance
M A J O R L E S S O N S L E A R N E D
C O N C L U S I O N S - Dissemination and Implementation
C O N T A C T L I S T
A P P E N D I X :
Images of decorative metalwork of parts of Spain,
Brussels and London
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The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, 2001 Fellowship Report
E X E C U T I V E
S U M M A R Y
Nyree L. Smith
6 Kidston Cres, Curtin ACT 2605
P R O J E C T D E S C R I P T I O N :
I undertook 13 weeks professional study with metal artisans and metal
fabrication and forging businesses in Spain, who are renowned for their
metal working skills and aesthetics. I also spent 2 weeks with the
Queens Armourer at the Queens Collection in London, to learn metal
conservation and restoration techniques. This cultural exchange was
particularly worthwhile at the workshops and organisations listed below.
They helped me to improve my skills and creative talents, enabling me to
develop richer and more diverse products and services, primarily for the
building industy. I also deepened my understanding of Spanish culture
that is, in many ways, different to our own.
H I G H L I G H T S O F S T U D Y T O U R :
People and organisations visited
Dates
• Francisco Rodriguez,
Contemporary metal artisan- Toledo
15/5- 13/6
• Roman Sanchez Torija,
Contemporary metal artisan – Noez, Spain
14/6- 15/6
• la Escuela Taller de Restauracion de Toledo, Spain
trade school in metal techniques of the past
18/6- 13/7
• La Mesquita de las Tornerias
(Gallery and centre of art- database)- Toledo, Spain 23/5
• James Jackson, Queens Collection,
Queens Armourer- London, England
31/7- 10/8
M A J O R L E S S O N S :
I had the opportunity to develop many metal working techniques. These
included ones for sheet metal, like planishing (used for shaping metal),
and the fabrication of unusual shapes like cones and spheres. Advanced
forge, file, hammer, punch and cold chisel techniques, special metal
finishes and steel tempering were also skills gained through the
workshops in Spain.
With the Queens Armourer, James Jackson, in London I primarily picked up metal
conservation and restoration techniques. I was also given an introduction to
engraving and an insight into exhibition installation and object handling.
In Spain, I saw how the older traditions of metalwork can work along side
contemporary technology. Such flexibility allows for, not only ingenious and practical
solutions in metal fabrication, but also enviable self-sufficiency. They make many of
their own tools and machines and are more likely to repair than to replace. During
the Franco years, Spain was closed to many external influences. It became very
self-sufficient, something that is retained today especially in the metal trades.
S U M M A R Y :
The fellowship was an eye opener and an inspiration. Since my return I have been
going through the process of finding out what techniques will be financially viable,
and satisfy a need in the market place, and what will not. So far it has been very
positive, and many of the techniques appear to be applicable.
I plan to continue to offer a variety of styles and techniques in my products; to
continue to challenge the medium of metal so as to meet the demands of the market;
and to find ways of keeping the techniques of old alive, relevant and viable.
In the short to medium term I would like to be involved in the promotion of artisans in
the local Canberra/Queanbeyan region. I am researching a database with a view to
producing it in either printed and/ or web site form to promote artisans and artists in
the local building industry. Plans for the medium to long term are teaching. It will be
possible to offer “one off” workshops through to set courses in these metal working
techniques at technical colleges and art schools. This will help to keep these ancient
skills and techniques alive for the future.
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G E N E R A L
N O T E S
A B O U T
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S P A I N
Here I include a section in my report that could help prepare
any Churchill fellow to conduct their project in Spain, no
matter what the topic. This information is to be read in
conjunction with the standard travel books, however,
normally these books focus on being a tourist in Spain, not
conducting “professional study secondments”. Unlike other
nations, the people of Spain (generally speaking) are not
familiar with the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, nor are
there equivalent organisations. Project orientated grants for
individuals or organisations exist, however, funding study
projects, whether professional or otherwise, appear to be
only available for youths and/ or students.
I gained professional metalwork experience in Spain with
local designers, manufacturers, teachers and artists.
Fellows pursuing projects very different to this, eg: ones
involved with the IT and computer industries, promotions,
marketing or multinational companies based in Spain, will
have a slightly different experience, however some things
would be consistent throughout.
Initial Contact and Getting a Project Started
Unless you are in the tourism industry or with a multinational
company expect very little English to be spoken. Also in
most areas the language is spoken very fast, with a thick
accent and, with many local colloquialisms and dialects. An
intermediate level of Spanish is required as a minimum.
Spaniards are, generally speaking, fairly reserved (but not shy) people
and can be quite guarded about their knowledge
and skills. It’s preferable to be introduced to potential targets by a
Spanish person who is related to, or involved with, your industry.
Things move along much quicker if this can be done. Writing to
businesses or individuals via fax, mail or e-mail can appear to have no
effect, however, rest assured that letters are read and possibly
discussed or thought about at length. You will find, however, that you
will need to pursue the response yourself. Quite often lines of inquiry
result in the necessity to meet in person before any confirmation of
secondment can be finalised. Once met in person they can be very
obliging with information and contacts. Although rewarding it can take
up precious time while on your fellowship.
Holidays
Something that must be taken into account when conducting business
related activities in Spain is that between April and September most of
the holidays and cultural and religious festivals occur, and there are
many. They also have what are called bridging holidays. These are
the days between a public holiday and the weekend, and because
most public holidays fall on a Thursday there can appear to be quite a
number of them and they can really slow down progress.
Fellowship Report
4/3/03
Opening hours and Siestas
The common business operating hours are 10am-1pm, 5pm9pm for shops, offices and some factories/ workshops.
Others choose 7am to 3pm with half hour breakfast break,
especially if the factory’s out of town and it’s difficult for the
majority of workers to get home for lunch and siesta. Believe
what they say in the travel books, siestas are taken very
seriously, especially in the warmer months. The larger cities
cater better for people wanting to get things done during this
part of the day.
Alcohol
Alcohol is consumed at all times of the day but always with
food. Even company cafeterias and all cafes serve it, even
for breakfast. It’s a cultural thing and it is normally drunk in
moderation.
Health and safety in the workplace
There appears to be a little less pressure on employers to be
as conscientious about health and safety as we are here in
Australia.
However, it is evident that the majority of
workplaces are clean and safe; the staff is well trained and
conscientious about their work and safety issues. A lot of the
workshops I visited have changed little in hundreds of years
and the system, however different to ours, works.
Getting Around
Rental cars are expensive (in 2001, 2 day hire with Avis cost
$95.00 per day) but there are cheap and good bus and train
services. If you plan to visit large manufacturing factories, or
out of the way ruins, chances are they will be in the outskirts
of a small town and inevitably you will have to rent a car.
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What Franco, the dictator, did for Spain
Franco, during his regime, isolated Spain from most of Europe, and,
although a military dictator, for 40 years ruled Spain as a monarch.
Spaniards don’t talk about him much, wanting instead to move on. He
died in the 1970’s and this was when Spain’s isolation ended.
The Franco years impacted on technology and its development as well,
and it was only after he died that Spain had the opportunity to get up to
date with technological advancements. As a result the metalworking
techniques of old have been kept alive and used into the modern day
and are used along side the new equipment and machinery.
Franco heavily censored media and music coming in from other
countries. This meant that the sexual revolution and women’s lib was
almost completely bypassed; The Beatles are a new craze there now,
banned during the 1960’s. Times are changing, albeit slowly. The
attitudes of the majority of Spaniards towards women in non-traditional
occupations are not only evident when you speak to them but also in
the absence of women in non-traditional occupations, particularly the
trades.
Women are viewed as very important in the community primarily
because they believe the family unit is the most important and most
sacred part of a Spaniard’s life and the majority of Spanish women
dedicate their lives to the nurturing of their family. I was accepted as a
metal worker because I was a foreigner. Most people I spoke to about
the gender imbalance in the industry believed it would be a very long
time before any Spanish woman became a metalworker. I hope that’s
not the case.
Fellowship Report
4/3/03
P R O J E C T
D E S C R I P T I O N :
I undertook 13 weeks professional study with metal artisans
and metal fabrication and forging businesses in Spain, who
are renowned for their metal working skills and aesthetics,
and also 2 weeks with the Queens armourer at the Queens
collection in London, to learn metal conservation and
restoration techniques. These experiences have helped me
to improve my skills and creative talents, enabling me to
develop richer and more diverse products and services,
primarily for the building industry. I also deepened my
understanding of Spanish culture, which is in many ways,
different to our own.
T H E
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D E T A I L S :
16/4- 29/4 Centro de Lenguas Intercambio- Seville:
These two weeks were spent in an intensive language and
culture course designed to get my Spanish up to a standard
so as to easily converse on a business level as well to adjust
to the cultural differences. They are part of the International
House group of colleges and it was a well-structured course.
However, some students choose a “super- intensive” option
(an extra 2 hours a day) and shared 5 hours a day with the
“standard- intensive” students. The “super intensive”
students progress at a different rate and both appear to be
disadvantaged by this. It is a good idea, for any one
considering similar courses, to check how students are
grouped.
There is an elective element to the program, where one can choose
from a variety of history or culture (dance and music) classes. I chose
lectures on Spain in the 50’s and 60’s and through these gained
insights into life in Spain during Franco’s dictatorship. Later, I noticed
how little people talk of those years (40 in all) and was grateful for this
knowledge given how much his influence is still apparent in the lives of
Spaniards today.
They also conducted extra curriculum activities including visits to
museums and bus trips to neighbouring towns and ruins. At around
A$320.00 per week it is very good value for money. Be warned,
however, inflation has been a steady 4% and with the introduction of
the Euro prices will inevitably change. For completing this program I
achieved a certificate in Spanish, intermediate level.
I discovered, during my stay in Seville, that the southern accent is very
thick. Although I progressed well in my studies I found it very daunting
trying to communicate with the locals. It was recommended, by most
Spaniards I spoke to (particularly from central Spain), that studying in
either Madrid or Salamanca is better because the language spoken
there is the closest to pure Spanish than anywhere else in the country.
Having encountered frustrating communication problems with the
southerners I thought I would start my investigations further north
where I had made a contact in Toledo (65kms from Madrid) and work
my way south later in the program. As expected the central Spaniards
were much easier to talk to and progress had begun upon arrival in
Toledo.
Fellowship Report
4/3/03
18/5- 29/6 Spanish tuition, Lùis Qumisò Toledo:
In Toledo I employed the services of a language teacher so
as to continue my Spanish language and culture studies
casually. He was a very useful resource; classes were
informal and often involved being out and about, going to
cultural and arts events. He also helped to fill the gaps in my
understanding of technical terms and colloquialisms.
2/5 Paco Ojeda SL- Lucena, Jaen, Spain
I had made contact with Paco prior to leaving Australia. He
indicated to me then that he might not be able to help me
directly but would certainly recommend possible options; I
visited him on the way to Toledo to discuss them. Paco
Ojeda SL owns a large factory for brass polishing. They
polish decorative brass pieces for metal fabricators and
artisans to use for railings, doors and gates. He ran a
fascinating operation; for instance, they used an interesting
combination of off-the-shelf, mass-produced polishing
machines and ones that were obviously home made, based
on designs that have been used for centuries. However,
they do not design or fabricate and we both agreed that an
extended stay would be unproductive to my fellowship.
Instead he gave me the names of two large fabricating
workshops that I could try (re: Contact List). I had already
arranged to meet the company “Marto” in Toledo so I filed
the information for future reference.
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11/5+16/5 Marto, sword and armour factory- Toledo, Castilla la
Mancha, Spain
I had made contact with Ms Innes Bua of the company Marto prior to
leaving Australia. Innes is the public relations person of the company.
Her boss (one of the directors, who at the time was out of town) and
Innes had apparently discussed my project and found no problem with
me spending a week observing their very large and impressive
ornamental sword and armour fabrication factory. We met, and for an
hour discussed my project and how Marto could accommodate me
during my stay in Toledo. We were just finishing the meeting when a
most peculiar thing happened; one of the other directors of the
company came in to see what we were meeting about, upon hearing a
minimal amount of information from Innes he expressed objection to
this arrangement and vetoed it altogether. No amount of persuasion
from me, or Innes could change his mind and we had to accept his
ruling. I was, however, permitted a tour of most of the establishment,
this was organised for the following week, and he gave me a small list
of other businesses to contact while in Toledo.
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4/3/03
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Toledo and the organization Gremious Artesanos, both I will discuss in
further detail later (page 7).
Marto offices and factory
The tour on the 16th was greatly appreciated. Despite the
disappointment of having such a small involvement with the
company I found it to be a most organised and efficient
operation, dedicated to providing the highest possible
standard of work possible within a mass-production
environment. The standard and condition of the equipment,
the cleanliness and organization of the spaces/ work stations
and the level of commitment to health and safety procedures
are all comparable to anything I had encountered in Australia
or otherwise.
Visiting large, specialised companies like Marto and Paco
Ojeda made me realize just how extensive the decorative
metal working industry is in Spain and how it viably supports
a gamut of subsidiary suppliers and products.
The contacts I was given by the director of Marto were of
some use. Useful suggestions included the School of Art of
Fellowship Report
4/3/03
15/5-14/7
Francisco Rodriguez, contemporary metal
artisan and fabricator- Toledo
Francisco’s workshop
I found Francisco’s business while wandering around the
suburb where I was staying. He owns and manages a small
to medium sized fabrication business that specializes in
decorative railings, gates and faroles (pendant lights). He
has between 2-5 employees (including a brother and
nephew) working with him in a workshop under his 14th
Century house, and is one of a line of metalworkers in his
family across many generations.
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He had no objections to me observing the goings on in his workshop
but was reluctant to give me any hands on experience, at first,
because of insurance concerns. I was more than happy with this
arrangement and spent an average of 2 days a week with him over a
period of two months. During that time I observed and was shown a
variety of metal working techniques and applications, both traditional
and contemporary. These included learning his way of constructing
curved handrail and hand cutting sheet metal with small chisels for
hinge plates. Francisco allowed me to assist on the hinges because
they literally had hundreds to make. This was near the end of my stay
in Toledo so it was nice to contribute to a job so as to compensate, a
little, for all the time he’d given me.
The workshop contains two rooms, one for forging, the other for
machining and fabrication. They have the machines and tools one
would expect to find in a contemporary fabrication workshop; mig
welders, sanders, grinders and a drill press, but with an equal content
of traditional (pre industrial) and industrial era machines and tools.
These include hand-made and tempered chisels, punches, files, lead
pads and sheet metal forming jigs, metal twisting machines, a power
hammer, forge, anvil and accoutrements. There is a balance between
the old and the new that enables Francisco to work steel in infinite
ways, something he takes completely for granted, because he, and the
society he lives in, knows no other way. Francisco claims that what he
and his workers do is nothing extraordinary or unusual but to our
standards is quite decorative and of high craftsmanship. In Spain it is
expected that architectural metalwork have at least some elements of
decoration as much as it is expected to be secure and long lasting.
Fellowship Report
4/3/03
15/5, 29/5, 30/5, 6/6 La Escuela de Arte (School of Art) y
Gabriel Cruz Marcos, artist- Toledo
Gabriel in the School of Art workshop
The local school of art was one of the recommendations of
the Director of Marto (as previously mentioned) because a
highly reputed metal and stone artist taught there. We met
and he invited me to join his metal work classes. This was
the first time I got my hands dirty and he basically left me to
experiment with the forge and other tools and machines of
the art schools workshop. I was unsupervised but during the
three classes I made a decorative bowl and learnt many of
the standard scroll types on the forge.
Gabriel spoke of needing assistance on an upcoming
exhibition but was waiting to get the all clear from his doctor
to continue working after an accident that injured his
shoulder. Unfortunately, his shoulder did not heal as quickly
as he would have liked and he recommended another
workshop so the remaining time would not be wasted. After
introductions and meetings with various officials, letters of
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request to the Mayor and a two-week wait, Gabriel and I managed to
get a 4-week secondment for me with La Escuela Taller de
Restauracion de Toledo (Trade School of Restoration of Toledo see
page 11).
23/5 La Mesquita de los Tornerias; Gallery and Centre for Art and
Los Gremios Artesanos, Toledo
La Mesquita de los Tornerias is an organization that runs a free gallery
for local artisans as well as manages a database of all known artisans
in the state of Castilla La Mancha. They publicise all the in house
exhibitions as well as promote the local craft trades in tourism sectors
and within the wider community.
The organization has 4 staff
members and it receives financial assistance from three primary
bodies, Junta de Comunidades de Castilla la Mancha (local
government), Ministerio de Industria, Comercio y Tourismo and
Fracaman (Federation of Artisans of Castilla La Mancha). It has been
in operation for 10 years and José Ramon Martìn, the director, feels
confident that these government agencies will continue to fund this
service because of the importance of the centuries old artisan
traditions in the area, particularly in regards to decorative metalwork.
Los Gremios Artesanos is a similar organization, however, it is smaller
and only performs one main function that is to monitor the different
guilds and associations (not individuals), both professional and
amateur, within the State of Castilla La Mancha.
Fellowship Report
4/3/03
25/5, 14+15/6 Roman Sanchez Torija, Contemporary
Metal Artisan, Noez, Castilla La Mancha
For two days (25th, 26th May) I rented a car and visited a
couple of well-known Artisans in neighbouring towns that
José Ramon Martin mentioned during my visit on the 23rd of
May.
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guillotines and folders, and currently operates 4 fan forced forges with
power hammers.
Outside work area
Roman working at his forge
The first was Roman Sanchez Torija who owns and
manages a very long-standing family business that goes
back further than he can remember. It is the largest in the
area and fabricates custom-made work as well as producing
a range of off the shelf products that includes furniture, light
fittings and home wares. The workshop is situated in Noez,
Castilla La Mancha, (30 kms South of Toledo) and the family
has a shop front outlet in the neighbouring town of Galvez.
Also, because of its size and the heavy machinery they use,
they also supply mass-produced decorative bushes, cast and
punched pieces, scrolls and locks for many metal fabricators
in the region. Machinery and equipment include primarily
hand operated, or assisted, industrial age, presses,
It appeared a very productive and interesting place to spend a couple
of days. We discussed the arrangement, and Roman was happy for
me to come back a couple of weeks later to observe them work, and
said that there would be a chance to have some time on one of the
forges.
Of the 8 employees I met there, 6 were family members. Roman
claimed that when he was a boy, he was sent to the workshop as soon
as he could hold a hammer. It is a family tradition he continues today
with his sons and nephews as workshop assistants, son-in-law as
leading hand and daughter as office manager.
Fellowship Report
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On the 14th I watched the various jobs in action. One room
was dedicated to splitting bars. A man at the forge marks
the bars to ordered spacings and then heats them; when the
steel turns cherry red it is placed into the splitting machine. It
is then a two-part operation of first hammering the splitting
tool into the solid bar, then the slot is placed over a square
shaped jig, and then hammered once more. These are then
either used in their own work, or are sold to other fabricators
to be put in security grill and railings.
In the next room they were painting a large decorative rail
they had just finished. I was encouraged to look through the
storage shed where left over pieces were stored for ideas as
to what to learn from them. Roman had taken a team to
Madrid for an installation so it was a little quieter than
normal. I found some cones 200mm high with a 100mm
diameter base, fabricated out of 1mm mild steel sheet. They
showed me how to mould them by first cutting out the shape
and then beating it around a conical shaped gig (the end of
some anvils work well too), very simple, fast and effective.
The rest of my time (including the following day) was spent
practicing on the forge, primarily power hammer techniques
and scrolls and knots.
Candle Holder made while in Romans workshop
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Fellowship Report
4/3/03
26/5 El Albero y Nono Martin, Alcaudete de la Jara,
Castilla la Mancha
The other Artisan I managed to visit when out and about with
the rental car was Nono Martin and his business El Albero, a
well-known artisan who lives in the town of Alcaudete de la
Jara, 80kms south west from Toledo. His father started the
business and had developed an impressive off-the-shelf
range of furniture and home wares that they distribute
throughout Spain and also overseas. Nono took over from
his father a number of years back and continues to
reproduce his father’s designs, however, his main interests
are in promoting his own sculptural pieces that are massproduced and distributed with the furniture and home-ware
range.
His father left a stable and fruitful business that Nono is able
to use to support his sculptural work. He also has loyal, long
stay employees that are the backbone and expertise to the
business, a legacy from his father. The conditions that they
work in appear to be quite challenging, with a lot of clutter
and mess but they find it manageable.
Nono was very difficult to communicate with at first, he talks
very fast and he couldn’t understand what I was and what I
wanted from him. He had particular trouble with the fact I
was a metalworker and argued that it was unnatural for a
woman to be in the metal trades. There are little to no
women working in the metal trades, at least none that I could
find, so this attitude of Nono’s is primarily from cultural
beliefs. Despite this he was happy to have me
come back for a couple of days to observe his business. I
filed this information away for later reference in case my
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other options fell through. In the end I did not need to take him up on
his offer.
9/6 José Augusto Fuentes Villacañas
(Damascene artist) Toledo
A local craft technique is damascene, a highly detailed method of
laying gold and silver ornament onto a metal item. Small decorative
plates, jewellery and religious items are the most common articles
adorned.
My Spanish tutor introduced me to the damascene artist José Augusto
who showed me the technique. A clean piece of steel is first scored in
a crosshatch pattern (sandblasting is a good contemporary equivalent)
so the gold and silver thread is able to adhere well; it is then heated to
form a black background to the pattern. Different punching and
engraving tools form the pattern in which the gold and silver thread is
laid and beaten into position. Finally the work is sealed with vegetable
oil. The end result is usually a splendid dramatic gold and silver design
with a matt black background.
Fellowship Report
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18/6- 13/7 La Escuela Taller de Restauracion de Toledo,
(Trade school in metal working techniques of pre
industrialised Spain)
Gabriel Cruz Marcos introduced me to this workshop one
month previously and at last I had the official approval to join
them for a two-week period. This turned into 4 once we got
to work and found mutual benefits to the appointment. The
workshop maestro (teacher/ master), Angel Arellano was
very accommodating, giving me time to settle in and to
decide what I wanted to learn.
I first investigated what function this government run
restoration trade school performed. There are 6 workshops
under one roof; carpentry, metalwork, paint and plaster,
stone, brick laying (or wall building/ restoration) and
electrical, employing 8-15 students per workshop. These
select students spend 2 of their 4-year trade apprenticeship
learning pre-industrial fabrication and restoration techniques
(excluding the electricians), as an attempt by the local
government, to keep these techniques alive. They are put to
use on the crumbling living museum of the City of Toledo.
These workshops repair and maintain Toledo’s public areas
and buildings, including historical sites such as churches,
mosques, convents and monasteries.
Angel at the forge
Artisans like Angel come from a long tradition of metal workers; his
grandfather, for instance, worked for the King before Franco exiled him
in the 1940s. He remembers a time when these age-old techniques
were more commonplace but since the opening up of Spain after
Franco’s death (only 30 years ago) technical innovation is starting to
take over. It is refreshing to see a local government recognise a
potential loss in their heritage and make attempts to conserve it, and
find a viable place for it to operate.
Of the many things that were possible to learn I narrowed the list down
to: practice on the forge; medieval doornails; fenetas pieces; bisagras
(hinges); medieval lock smithing and steel tempering. This did not
daunt Angel; in fact I think he was happy to teach someone who was
so eager to learn.
Fellowship Report
4/3/03
15
Angel insisted that all work be towards a complete object, or
useful set of objects. I was not allowed to just learn a
technique just for the sake of it. Therefore the forge practice
turned into building a set of
shelf brackets (shown) and
making a complete set of 22
medieval doornails (shown).
The
nails
are
comprised of 3 parts;
the central part is hand
forged with moulds
and hammers and the
front plates are filed
and punched by hand.
They took 3 days to
complete.
The workshop tries to
use primarily pre-industrial metal working techniques,
therefore there were no power tools or hammer to assist,
only the occasional assistance from apprentices wielding
sledgehammers.
Fenetas (shown above) adorn the gates, doors and grill work of Spain
and most of southern Europe. An image is first traced, using small
chisels, onto a piece of sheet metal. It is then beaten with different
hammers over different surfaces like lead pads and sandbags. This
technique can create shapes and images as simple as the fleur de lis
and as complicated as a face or nativity scene.
Me at the forge in the School of Restoration workshop
Fellowship Report
4/3/03
After making the small feneta piece (shown on previous
page) I wanted to explore the technique further so decided to
make a face, or mask (shown). I went with simplicity and
chose a clown’s face.
All detail has been
created with small
punches
and
hammers and took
about three days to
complete (including
his wrought iron
hair). When back
home in Australia I
experimented with
the same technique and application except this time
achieved the detail by building up the metal with the electric
(mig) welder and then grinding and sanding it smooth.
This face (shown) took only 3
hours to build as opposed to
three days and relies on both
ancient
and
contemporary
techniques to achieve the effect.
Angel went to Madrid for a couple
of days and let me work on
without him.
We had been
working on and perfecting cone
fabrication the day before that
had resulted in two beautiful
cones that I felt inspired to turn
into vases for ‘thank you’
presents. If one turned out good
enough I would give it to Angel.
16
The pieces were a great success
and
showed
the
technical
improvements in my skills. Angel
was very impressed exclaiming
“Maestra!” upon seeing it.
He
accepted my gift with gratitude and
(with my permission) adorned it with
his own verde gris paint finish
(shown).
In the last week on my stay with La
Escuela Taller we squeezed in steel
tempering, where Angel and I made
a set of small chisels to take home,
and we started to make a simple
medieval style lock mechanism (shown below).
Those 4 weeks were the highlight
of my time in that region.
Fellowship Report
4/3/03
31/7- 10/8 Queens Collection, Jim Jackson, Queens
Armourer, London
The workshops of the Queen’s Collection have been in
existence for centuries and have the awesome task of
keeping the lavish gifts that have been given to the royals
over the ages and the armoury and the artefacts of the court,
in good repair.
Once formalities were out of the way- meeting everyone,
organizing security passes, etc- I joined Jim in the workshop
and set about helping in the restoration of three 18th Century,
primarily ornamental, swords. This was quite a major task
for many parts of them were badly damaged, or in some
cases, completely broken off. They required complete
disassembly, clean down and rebuild.
Jim in the Queen’s collection workshop
After disassembly, the blades were removed of their rust
through painstaking sanding with very fine emery board and
17
WD40. Next they were polished with museum quality metal polish
(“Auto-sol” by Edel-Chromglanz).
The hilts (hand guards made from gold plated solid brass) were first
cleaned down with fine steel wool and a heavy-duty acetone. The
broken pieces were then carefully repaired with silver solder and
pieces that were missing were replicated and silver soldered on. Once
sanded and polished to perfection it was then necessary to colour the
brass to the same colour of the original gold plated piece. This was
achieved through the gentle heating of the new brass parts with a soft
oxy acetylene flame. This gave the brass a more “golden” look thus
convincingly matching the original. The blade and handle were then
finished with a microcrystalline wax polish made by the company
Renaissance (developed with the British Museum).
Two of the timber grips had thin wire
wrappings that had to be cleaned
(with
fine steel wool), rebound and refastened into the timber. The third
had a
finely twisted copper wire bound
grip
(shown).
The copper wire had
come
adrift and half had broken off. We
went
about replacing this by terminating
the
existing wire and creating a new
piece
of twisted wire by clamping one end
of two
pieces of wire into a vice and
clamping the other end into the
chuck
of a drill. Then, while applying
tension
onto the wires, the drill is turned on
(slow
speed) and eventually one has a nice even twist along the length of
the wire. This was then attached at the same point, or near, where the
original wire was terminated and we continued bounding the wire from
there. The difference in colour was considered unimportant for copper
oxidises so fast that within weeks it will look as the original.
Fellowship Report
4/3/03
We used the original method of attachment and termination
of the wires by drilling a very small hole (1mm diameter) into
the grip and quite simply feeding the wire into the hole, the
binding is then continued from there. If the grip is bound
tightly this method works quite well.
Before assembly the felt pad that lies between the hilt and
the blade needed replacing on all the swords. This involved
making a paper template and then transferring this onto a
piece of felt around 5mm thick. The felt then threads over
the tang of the sword protecting the brass hilt from wear and
tear at that junction.
These
swords
took
several days to restore
and were my main
project during my stay
with
the
Queens
Collection, and, under
the watchful eye of Jim,
he permitted me to
perform many of these
procedures. The rest I
intently watched.
Jim introduced me to traditional steel and brass engraving
techniques that also included tool sharpening, design
stencilling and transfer techniques. He demonstrated these,
and I practiced, on an engraving tool he made on the spot. It
was offered as a memento of my stay at the Collection and is
a valuable part of my specialised tool collection to this day.
Jim also showed me different “blueing” compounds for brass
and steel. He recommends “Perma Blue” for steel and
“Brass Black” for brass, bronze and copper.
Minnesota, makes these products.
18
Birchwood Casey,
It was revealed in the workshop one day that Jim is a master blade
smith, one of very few in the world. He brought in a collection of his
most beautiful hand crafted Damascus steel knives; with hand carved
exotic hard wood handles and Manta Ray skin scabbards, to show me.
He explained that the process of making Damascus steel involved
heating, folding and beating strips of steel of different carbon ratios
together over and over, and this can produce different, distinctive
patterns on the metal. It is a process that requires a great deal of skill
with a forge and one I can but dream of learning one day.
One and a half days of the 9-day stay with the Queen’s Collection
were spent observing the handling (pack up) of valuable objects at the
end of a Victorian exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The
Collection had donated some exquisite pieces from this era, including
a full suit of armour, weapons, sculptures of the royals, ivory clad
furniture and solid gold, and jewel encrusted desk furniture from India.
These were handled with either cotton or latex gloves and were first
wrapped in tissue paper then bubble wrap before being carefully
placed into custom made transport boxes or crates.
I had the opportunity to meet with Simon Metcalf of the conservators
department (see details below) as well as look through other exhibits
of the Museum while we were there, including the Chihuly glass and
period locksmith exhibitions.
During an afternoon in the second week I accompanied Jim to
Windsor Castle where he wanted to inspect recent displays that he
had placed. These included impressive displays that incorporated
hundreds of intricately placed swords, guns and armour on walls and
in cabinets. We toured the Castle and Jim pointed out where the 1992
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4/3/03
fire had raged and how the palace and the Collection staff
tried to save what they could. The fire enabled the royals to
renovate the affected parts of the palace to the original
George IV (Wyatville) and English Gothic designs.
The staff of the Royal Collection provided me with a wealth
of information. I wanted to stay longer but alas it was not
possible because security clearance was required (again)
and that would take too long. All the same, it proved to be
the icing on the cake near the end of what ended up being a
very fruitful and enjoyable fellowship.
19
1/8 Victoria and Albert Museum Restoration and Conservation
Departments, Simon Metcalf, London
Simon Metcalf was one of the supervising conservators on staff during
the pack-up of the Victorian exhibition and he was able to give me a
tour of the conservation department at the museum. They maintain
around 8 specialised staff. Simon’s speciality is metals. At that time,
he was working on a 11th Century Tibetan piece of armour. He
mentioned that the approach toward conservation was a little different
to that of the Royal Collection: the Collection repairs and restores the
artefact to near new condition, however, the V &A Museum often
decides to leave the artefact in the state that it was found, dirt and all,
or at best, only partially restore it. This is an attempt to not only avoid
“meddling” with the original, potentially concealing all the original work,
but also an attempt to spread out their already over-committed funding
and resources.
Fellowship Report
4/3/03
11/8 Richard Quinnel, London
On my last day in London (and of my fellowship) David
Wheeler of the Queens Collection offered to introduce me to
a local metal artisan and English Churchill Fellow, Richard
Quinnel, who owns a fabrication business (semi-retired) and
runs 3 galleries that promote not only his own work but that
of other artisans and artists. I had some trouble with the
trains getting to Leatherhead (where the gallery is) and, as a
result of my lateness, had to cut our meeting short. I still
managed a conversation with him, primarily about his
fellowship, and looked through his portfolio. The fellowship
appeared to have had a very positive effect on his work and
career. Before they closed I managed a quick look through
the gallery that supported many a finely crafted object and
art work.
17/8- 19/8 Ignacio Cruz, Hierros De Antequera,
Antequera, Spain
Once my commitment with the Queens Collection had
finished I headed back to Spain so as to experience a little
more the Moorish influence in the south. After spending a
few days travelling back through Seville on my way to
Malaga I found myself staying a few days in the small town
of Antequera. The reason for this was that I met Ignacio, a
metal artisan, who let me rent a part of his premises for a few
days (Friday through Sunday). He had pretty much closed
down for the summer but would come in each day to let me
in, answer a couple of questions and then basically leave me
to it. I wasn’t allowed to use many of the machines but I was
able to refine the medieval lock that I started in Toledo and
was also able to improve on the different hammering
(planishing) techniques I had learnt with Angel.
20
Galleries/ Museums Visited
20/5 Museo Sedfardi, Toledo. (Jewish museum)
9/4 The Prado, Madrid
15/7 Thyssen Bornemisza Museum, Madrid
14/7 Museo National Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid
31/5 The Art and Tradition of the Zuloagas Spanish Damascene from
the Khalili Collection, Toledo
31/5 Victorio Macho Museum, Totedo
1/6 Museo de Arte Abstracto España, Cuenca,
Castilla La Mancha
17/7 Museu Nacional D’art de Catalunya (Museum of Modern Art)
2/8 Victoria and Albert Museum, London
6/8 British Museum, London
4/8 La Maison Cauchie, Brussels
23/7 Museum National del Bargello, Florence
24/7 Uffizi Museum, Florence
Other Places Visited of Importance
Mesquita, (9th Century Mosque), Cordoba
Alhambra, (9th Century Palace), Granada
Cathedral of Toledo
Il Duormo (13th Century Cathedral), Sienna
The Roman Forum and Colluseum, Rome
The Vatican, Sistine Chapel and Museum, Rome
Fellowship Report
4/3/03
M A J O R L E S S O N S L E A R N E D :
I had the opportunity to develop many metal working
techniques. These included ones for sheet metal, like
planishing (used for shaping metal), and the fabrication of
unusual shapes like cones and spheres, as well as advanced
forge, file, hammer, punch and cold chisel techniques.
Special metal finishes and steel tempering were all skills
gained through the workshops in Spain. With the Queen’s
Armourer in London I primarily learnt conservation and
restoration techniques. I was also given an introduction to
engraving and an insight into exhibition installation and
object handling.
While in Spain I noticed how different the backgrounds are
between businesses in decorative metalwork in Spain and
those of Australia. The majority of the artisans I met had
fathers and grandfathers who had been (or still were) metal
artisans, who had established the business before it was
passed down to their sons. Promotions and marketing
appears not to be necessary: their reputation and the legacy
of their fathers and forefathers is enough. I could imagine it
would be difficult to start a decorative metalworking company
from scratch there because of the number of established and
ongoing businesses there are in this field. Someone I met in
Toledo who lived in a neighbouring village, with a population
of around 500 people, claimed that there were at least 5
decorative metalworkers in her village but despite that you
still had to wait 3 months to get any work done. So, although
there are a lot of metalworkers, there is obviously a demand.
Spain, as in all of Europe, has a very long history of
decorative metal work and therefore has a great appreciation
for, or at least acceptance of, this art form. However, I heard
many complaints from the craftsmen about the comparatively
lower wages of those working as metal artisans.
21
Also, with such a saturation of decorative metalwork one would expect
a fair amount of challenging contemporary designs taking place. I did
not find this the case. Although I did encounter the odd exception
most decorative metalwork designs are very traditional in the building
industry.
There are examples of the kind of traditional and
contemporary designs in the “Images” section of the report (pages 23
to 27).
In Spanish workshops I found the older traditions of metalwork working
along side contemporary technology and machinery. The flexibility of
this combination allows the artisan to fabricate whatever design or
shape he, or she, desires. This ingenious and practical approach
works well in Spain where designs are fairly diverse, while principally
traditional, and where clients are accustomed to a high level of
workmanship.
This flexibility has enabled metalworking businesses to achieve a level
of self-sufficiency not seen in Australia. Here, if we require an intricate
pattern to be cut out of a piece of sheet steel the main option is to go
to a laser cutting service. There is not the skill base in Australia to
readily do this by hand. In Spain, depending on the quantity, patterns
of the most intricate nature are possible by hand, even by a competent
apprentice.
These skills are not difficult, just lost to us. We can even trace this
shift in manufacturing focus, essentially, to the late 18th Century when
England embraced the development of the Industrial Revolution. The
artisan guild system was not strong nor was it well supported, unlike
what prevailed in other European countries, and before long
succumbed to the Revolution’s advances. In Australia we have been
shaped by this influence, and as a result are left with little history of
decorative metalwork and without an in-built appreciation of its
longevity and aesthetics. I am speaking generally, of course, for there
Fellowship Report
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have been artisans that have made a worthy and beautiful
impression on our environment.
In this postmodern era we are “shaking off” the modernist,
“minimalist”, approach to our artificial environment and we
see ornamentation returning. With it there is an expectation
from our society to deliver a variety of solutions to aesthetic
and functional problems. These will be met through keeping
the ancient methods of the past alive while also incorporating
new technologies and innovations of the present.
22
Fellowship Report
4/3/03
C O N C L U S I O N S Dissemination and Implementation:
The fellowship was an eye opener and an inspiration. Since
my return I have been going through the process of finding
out what techniques will be financially viable, and satisfy a
need in the market place, and what will not. So far it has
been very positive, and many of the techniques appear to be
applicable. Planishing, for instance, used, amongst other
things, for the fabrication of armour, has been a great
success and I have fabricated many contemporary and
traditional pieces since my return. These include a full sized,
3-dimensional, weather vane
of an ancient Greek god,
Triton, for the Hellenic Club
Canberra
(shown);
a
decorative panel of the Tree
of Life for a Churchill fellows
artisan
exhibition
in
Canberra (shown), and a
pair of garden gates for a
private residence (shown).
These pieces show a greater
diversity emerging in my work
and through these skills I am
increasing awareness of what
is possible in metal and how
flexible this material can be.
I plan to continue to offer a
variety of styles and techniques
in my products; to continue to
challenge the medium of metal
23
so as to meet the demands of
the market; and to find ways of
keeping the techniques of old
alive, relevant and viable.
Gate Detail
In the short to medium term I would like to
be involved in the promotion of, and
networking with, artisans in the local
Canberra/Queanbeyan region. I hope to
persuade local governments of the value
of producing a database of artisans and
artists who supply to the building industry.
I am undertaking the research for such a
database with a view to producing it in
either printed and or web site form when
opportunities arise.
Something planned for the medium to long term is teaching, from “one
off” workshops through to set courses in these metal working
techniques at technical colleges and art schools. This will help to keep
these ancient skills and techniques alive for the future.
The Churchill Fellowship was a marvellous opportunity to expand my
skills and to absorb myself in cultures where decorative metalwork is
common, and regarded highly. These new skills offer a greater variety
of choice, quality of workmanship, and potentially a greater
understanding of the flexibility and beauty of metalwork.
Fellowship Report
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C O N T A C T L I S T
2/5 Paco Ojeda SL…………………………………………….
11/5+16/5 Marto……………………………………………….
24
Camino de la Torca, Km2,200, Lucena, Cordoba, Spain
Comercial Midas. SL, Ctra. Madrid-Toledo-Km 61,900
Olias Del Rey, Castilla La Mancha, Spain.
15/5-14/7
Francisco
Rodriguez………………………………
Calle Zarzuela #11, 45003 Toledo, Spain
15/5, 29/5, 30/5, 6/6 La Escuela de Arte (School of Art) y
Gabriel Cruz Marcos………………. …………………………
Toledo, Spain
23/5 La Mesquita de los Tornerias; Gallery and Centre for
Art and Los Gremios Artesanos, Toledo…………………….
Plaza de Solaejo, 45001 Toledo, Spain
25/5, 14+15/6 Roman Sanchez Torija, Contemporary Metal
Artisan, Noez, Castilla La Mancha……………………
Ctra. Noez, sn, Castilla La Mancha, Spain
26/5 El Albero y Nono Martin…………………………………
Ctra. N-502, Km 130, 45662 Alcaudete de la Jara,
Castilla la Mancha Spain
18/6- 13/7 La Escuela Taller de Restauracion de Toledo…
Barco Pasaje, Casa del Diamantista, 45002 Tolado, Spain
31/7- 10/8 Queens Collection,: Mr Hugh Roberts KCVO….
Stable Yard House, St James Palace, London SWIA 1AA
England
1/8 Victoria and Albert Museum ……………………………
Conservation Department, Victoria and Albert Museum, London SW7
2RL, England
Fire and Iron Gallery, Oxshot Road Leatherhead,
Surry KT22 0EN, England
11/8 Richard Quinnel, London……………………………….
Ballesteros y Moral (Recommended Decorative Metal
workshop, not visited) ………………………………………...
Ctra, Los Villares, Km.1, 23740 Andujar, Jaen, Spain
Artesania Del Hierro Cerrano (Recommended Decorative
Metal workshop not visited ) …………………………………
Calle Real #48, Torredonjemenos 23650, Jaen, Spain
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26
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27
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29

report - Winston Churchill Memorial Trust

Transcription

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