Art - Suffolk sculptor Alice Ewing

A stunning local cast!

In her final article for Village People, art writer Kristy Campbell interviews Suffolk sculptor Alice Ewing, who’s work reflects the local scenery

Autumn is upon us. Once again, the leaves on trees are beginning to turn and the cold weather is spurring on the fruit to fall. The days no longer measure quite as long, and we greet our woollen wears with open arms. This harvest season I have had the pleasure of interviewing accomplished and distinctive Suffolk sculptor Alice Ewing, whose work flourishes at the turn of each season with new and beautiful decorative items commemorating the organic and changing scenery of the countryside. Alice is a Cambridge University History of Art master’s graduate. She owns and runs a foundrystudio with her partner Freddy, in Brandeston, which they started in 2016. The pair practiced under Laurence Edwards, who facilitated their learning of the casting process. Alice tells us of the freelance career trajectory within a rural arts scene, and issues meaning to the stunning exclusive designs created in their Riggle Street studio.

Practice

“The origins of my own foundry began whilst training in that atelier context. Myself and Freddy built a curious little foundry set-up out of an abandoned shopping trolley and an old steel bin — as soon as we clocked off in the main studio, we’d switch over to our own, running mini pours out the back in the evenings. “Sculpture isn’t a tremendously ‘portable' process. The studio is full of moulds, there are physical and material ideas sat around waiting to be cast. A sense of rootedness and of place tends to come about quite naturally. You literally have to ground part of yourself to see an idea all the way through in this material. There’s a great quote by Roger Deakin which has always stayed with me in this respect, he describes it as ‘freewheeling around a fixed point.’ “I’ve gradually developed different ‘areas’ within my practice as some ideas or projects have taken on a life of their own. My series and now second design-studio, Pomarius, as an example. This studio began as a residency project; I was working with a heritage garden, casting the produce in bronze as a way of celebrating the longevity and dedication to the site. The work and the concept took on a life of its own, recreating itself in different locations. “I’ve since collaborated with fashion brand Loewe with Pomarius and it’s wonderful to still have a reason to visit beautiful gardens as part of this series. My other sculpture focuses on landscape and place too, but with a very different aesthetic in the outcomes — linear, ‘drawn’ works in bronze. Alongside my work, we continue to operate as foundry casting for other artists and running the occasional educational programme via The Portable Foundry Project…so, I’ve developed many hats to wear!”

Commissions

“The project with Loewe has been incredibly exciting. I’ve produced a jewellery series for their SS21 collection, in addition to sculptures for a still life series as part of the same collection under creative director Jonathan Anderson. It was peculiar working on this under the pandemic — I was casting works and sending them off via UPS, all discussion and signing off happening remotely or over the phone. Then, suddenly, these works sent out in little brown boxes from deepest dark Suffolk were appearing in fashion photoshoots or being worn by people and tagged on Instagram! A recent commission to cast a full-size lobster in bronze was also pretty challenging, on a par with the pig’s head cast, now at the Unruly Pig, a few years ago!”

Community projects

“Most recently, I’ve had a couple of projects responding to lockdown and the dramatic increase in loneliness that this has caused in rural communities locally. The Portable Foundry Project ran a residency with Suffolk Art Link in Eye, supplying free sculpture kits to families and the local care home. The outcomes of the kits created a collection of coins we cast in bronze. People were able to spend these in town; an opportunity to meet up and enjoy a slice of cake or a snack together, as well as taking part in the sculpture kit activities. I also collaborated on a project in Woodbridge for new parents during lockdown, repurposing a container to allow for creative workshops to happen there for mums and babies who’d otherwise lost access to local parent groups.”

Upcoming projects

“I’m currently working on a collection of cast mushrooms through the Alde Valley Festival (Galloper Sands Gallery). It’s technically a year-long residency through Pomarius, documenting the wonderful 'fungi consequences' of the re-wilding there. Locally, I’ll have pieces with the Art for Cure show in September (25th-29th), at Merchants Table (Woodbridge) and Cambridge Contemporary.”

Managing the freelance journey

“Create some space. I’m realising that more and more. There are always things to do, to generate, to finish. But I’m not sure that constant ‘directness’ is necessarily the best energy to nurture all the time. I think you need to have a working ‘structure’ and I think there needs to be some way of creating a bit of undesignated space within that. “I feel quite lucky that this last year or so hasn’t been as disrupted as it has been for other freelancers. I’ve still been able to get to the studio safely and continue to work. I suppose my workplace doesn’t necessarily keep its boundaries; it is the studio/foundry, but it’s also home and anywhere I’m thinking about a project or a piece.”

Artist: Alice Ewing www.aliceandreaewing.com @aliceandreaewing www.pomarius-collecitons.co.uk @pomarius_collections Writer: Kristy Campbell www.axisweb.org/p/kristycamp @kristycamp