“Thinking back to the first piece I cast, I thought why can’t the sculpture be made from combustible materials and cast direct, creating a unique? I cut the clay, plaster and mould making out and worked directly with what was in front of me; wax, grass and reeds gathered from my immediate environment. This process gave rise to a unique series of figurative pieces that I cast direct to bronze and is something I continue to explore today.”
Sculptor Gus Farnes uses materials selected from his local situation – remnants from a landscape, 3D printed patterns, found objects collaged, bound together, and fixed with wax on both an intimate and monumental scale and, by casting them directly to bronze, creates a body of unique work. Farnes’ interests lie in portraying the human condition, his figurative sculptures existing on the cusp between raw and serene as he works to find beauty in the neglected, exploring ideas surrounded geopolitics, alienation and the environment.
Since achieving a BA (Hons) degree in Fine Art Sculpture from Norwich University of the Arts (2004-2007) where Farnes was mentored by Chris Summerfield who assisted Henry Moore at the Royal College of Art, and going on to work in London as a graphic design artist for Sothebys; extending his knowledge and experiences in an art led industry, he now, since 2016, resides and works in Suffolk.
As well as an ever expanding array of group shows, Gus Farnes has also held a selection of poignant solo exhibitions including Hope at Allpress Dalston, London (2016), Prospect at Snape Matings, Suffolk (2017) and Unequivocal at Sculpt Gallery (2019). Farnes has also shown with us at the Fairhurst Gallery, with artist Amanda Edgecombe in a showcase celebrating the influence from the rural Suffolk landscape; In League with the Moon (2020).