At present we have the brilliant Welsh based abstract stone
figure carver Matthew Billington. Working amidst the historic
stones of Wales he is certainly inspired by the ancient carvers
but also brings fluidity into his abstract stone figures that
suggests his figures were frozen 'mid-morph' in
molten stone. Both Easter Island and Dali spring to my mind
when I experience his abstract stone figures. The cool,
dark Welsh slate he mostly uses, smoothed like ice,
lends a power to his pieces that is compelling...
and compells you to touch...
When I asked Matthew what he was aiming for
in his abstract sculpture he replied slowly and very deliberately...
"Pure expression of the soul made manifest in stone"
Matthew works from a feeling of what he wants to express in
his sculpture rather than a predetermined plan or maquette.
This allows his figurative abstracts to flow from the stone,
evolving around his original concept and enrichening it as he
carves. He carves at remarkable speed for a stone sculptor and
you can almost see his conceptual understanding of the figure
or head he is sculpting deepening as he works; with new expressions
around the original idea being discovered along the way. Check
out his art in his stone
sculpture gallery.
