Malcolm Franklin MRSS

The main part of my practice is centered on the carving of wood or stone. The majority of my sculptures although they may seem to be constructed from separate parts, are in fact extracted from one single block. When I choose a block of stone or wood I look for the potential for movement, for shifts in planes, and openings: negative space is just as important as the boundaries of a form. I want to give the idea that the form of a sculpture can continue beyond its physical confines.

Unless I am engaged on a commission, I prefer to work from sketches rather than models and maquettes. There is no imposition of form from one main point; no drawing projected onto solid matter and teased out. A tension is created between a shape I have in mind and the character of the material; its inherent properties, such as tensile strength, hardness, bends, and flaws are all taken into account in the confrontation between sculptor and medium.