Learn to sculpt in marble
2005-04-07
STUDENTS and artists of sculpture will soon have a rare opportunity to work in marble, when a sculpture studio opens in Suider Paarl at the historic JA Clift monumental yard.
Severino Braccialarghe trained in Pietrasanta in Italy and hopes to revive the dying art of sculpting in marble.
He discovered the facility while looking for a place to complete a commission by the Italian consulate to celebrate South Africa’s ten years of democracy.
The marble statue made from Carrara marble, can be seen outside the international convention centre in Cape Town.
“Facilities are very scarce because few people still work in stone.
“The monumental yard in Paarl is the only one in the Cape Town area, and is ideal because it is also able to handle and cut big stone blocks.
“It is an excellent facility with lots of space,” he explained.
“Technically speaking, marble is ideally suited for carving. It is very compact, finely grained and homogenous. Artists have been using it since the early Greeks.
“The traditional way of working in marble, I call the Michelangelo way: with a hammer and chisel.
“It is a very time consuming method. Modern techniques and tools are much faster, and students should not feel intimidated.”
The sculpting workshops will take place over three days and include a demonstration of carving tools and techniques, the development of carving skills on soft stone or plaster of paris with a hammer and chisel.
Then students will be able to test their skills on a marble block using pneumatic hammers and hard-tipped chisels.
The stone will then be finished with chisels, stone grinding, water, paper and hand polishing, depending on the student’s requirements.
Workshops in modelling for bronze casting (done at a foundry nearby) will also be held at the same venue.
Those interested can contact Severino Braccialarghe at 788-7137 (after hours) 863-3016 (w) or 082-960-2898 or email severino@telkomsa.net.
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