Chris Dunseath’s sculptures showing in the ‘Arts in Hospital’ exhibition at Dorset County Hospital are a selection from a larger series of Disc sculptures that he has been developing over a number of years. They all conform to a circular format and are made of Jesmonite, a casting material that is used in both its natural and pigmented form. Several of the Discs contain inclusions of the stone alabaster.
The translucent and transparent properties of Alabaster enable the passage of light to be an essential property of the Discs. Much of Chris’s work is influenced by current developments in Physics involving Space, Mass & Time and several of the titles of the Discs allude to these themes. For example ‘Where Stars are Born’ includes translucent alabaster that suggests nebulae of interstellar clouds of dust and gas where stars are formed.
The fabrication process of the Discs involves a mixture of control and chance. Liquid Jesmonite is poured into a mold embedding solid pieces of Jesmonite and alabaster. Once set solid the Disc is then worked on using cutting and rasping tools and finally finished using diamond abrasives to reveal the previously unseen form. The ‘Arts in Hospital’ clear display cases enable the natural daylight to permeate through the Discs as intended.
As well as the sculptures a number of intricate drawings concerned with the vibration of particles will be exhibited.
