Sculpture Vulture

Today on the show, Lucy Branch talks to contemporary sculptor Rebecca Hawkins who discusses her journey from early influences in sculpture through to creating some of the world's most significant humanitarian memorials particularly addressing sexual violence in conflict and the determination to grow and survive despite hardship.

Sculpture News:

• Rebel Bear's guerrilla art: Duke of Wellington statue with pigeon reading "The Daily Dropping"

• Pavarotti statue standing knee-deep in ice rink, Pesaro, Italy

Topics discussed:

• Early sculpture education and the challenges of art school

• Transformative experience in Nepal and working with the Esther Benjamins Trust

• The development of the tree-women sculptures

• Creating witness-style memorials for silenced voices

• The "Mother and Child" memorial (2018) for Vietnamese survivors of sexual violence during the Vietnam War (Lai Đại Hàn memorial)

• The Yazidi genocide memorial for Nadia's Initiative

• The first global memorial for sexual violence in conflict (unveiled The Hague, July 2025; installed Berlin, September 2025)

• The emotional weight of representing trauma in bronze

• The role of beauty in memorial sculpture

• Balancing humanitarian work with artistic practice

Connect with Rebecca Hawkins:

Instagram: @rebeccahawkinssculpture

LinkedIn: Rebecca Hawkins

Support the Show:

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Please help us continue growing by sharing this episode with someone in your sculpture community.

There are lots of ways to Support The Show, please check them out.

Contact Lucy: [email protected]

Find out more about Lucy's work with Antique Bronze

On the show today, Lucy Branch speaks to Sarah Monk of The Materially Speaking Podcast about Pietrasanta's International Sculpture Community

Key Discussion Points:

Pietrasanta's Unique Ecosystem and its History

• International hub near Carrara marble fields with specialized artisans: mold makers, foundry workers, patina specialists
• Three types of artists: major names using established studios, regular visitors, and permanent residents
• "You can't do sculpture on your own, you need a body of people"

• 1963 Vatican Crisis, the Vatican ruling on religious artifacts nearly destroyed Pietrasanta overnight

• Studios pivoted by approaching artists like Henry Moore to scale up maquettes
• Created today's model where artists work in both bronze and marble

Sculptural Tourism

• The Giro: three-hour self-guided studio tour making access special rather than constant
• Historical maquette museum includes original David cast

• Religious public sculpture - Timothy Paul Schmalz Works
• Monument Viewing and Scale: how scale makes viewers feel small in an "empowering" way

Find Materially Speaking here

Contact Lucy and tell her if you've been inspired by sculpture... or the show - [email protected]

Please Support the Show:

If you're enjoying the podcast, there are several ways you can support the work:

• Buy a book: Fiction and non-fiction titles available, Wax On Wax Off: How to Care for Bronze Sculpture and Bronze Behaving Badly: The Principles of Bronze Conservation

• Leave a review: Reviews help other sculpture enthusiasts discover the podcast

• Spread the word: Tell others in your network about your favourite episodes and enable others to find the Sculpture Vulture Tribe

• Visit the website: Find the "Support the Show" button at sculpture-vulture.co.uk

Every download, review, and book purchase helps keep these conversations about public sculpture and monuments going.

Thank you for being part of the Sculpture Vultures community!

This podcast is brought to you by Antique Bronze (bronze sculptural and architectural conservation)

In this episode, Lucy Branch speaks with sculptor Tim Shaw about his journey from troublesome teenager to one of Britain's most compelling contemporary sculptors working in bronze and public art.

Tim shares the pivotal moment that enabled him to pursue sculpture full-time, and how he's built an autonomous creative life, working primarily on bodies of work he wants to make rather than chasing commissions.

We discuss his award-winning sculpture "Man on Fire" at the Imperial War Museum North, why he finds it easier to express emotion through bronze than words, and why he's never quite satisfied with his work - even when it wins major awards.

Topics covered:

• How a book on Rodin changed everything at age 14
• The difference between conservation and restoration
• Working with difficult subjects like war and trauma
• The challenge of creating public sculpture that makes people uncomfortable
• Building a career on your own terms

Find Tim Shaw:

• Website: timshawsculptor.com
• Instagram: @timshawsculptor
• Recent work: "Man on Fire" at Imperial War Museum North, Salford (Winner of the PSSA Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture)

This podcast is created by ⁠Antique Bronze⁠

Please support the show by rating and reviewing the podcastor with buymeacoffee.com/lucybranch

In today's episode, host Lucy Branch, introduces Carly Wurzel Backer PhD and, Chief Curator of the Heckscher Museum of Art, who shares insights on Emma Stebbins, a pioneering 19th-century sculptor known for her Bethesda Fountain in Central Park.

The discussion covers Stebbins' life, her groundbreaking works, and the process of organising an exhibition of her sculptures. 00:00 Introduction to Sculpture Vulture00:35 Personal Update by Lucy Branch and Michael Faraday Monument03:05 Reflections and Future Goals07:45 Introducing Carly Wezel Backer and Emma Stebbins08:54 Emma Stebbins' Journey and Achievements14:45 Challenges and Triumphs in Emma Stebbins' Career24:22 Exhibition Preparation and Discoveries28:12 Emma Stebbins' Artistic Process and Legacy36:22 Conclusion and Exhibition DetailsExhibition Details : Emma Stebbins - Carving Out History

Where: The Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Avenue, Huntington, New York
When: September 28, 2025 - March 15, 2026
Website: heckscher.org

Features 14 sculptures plus archival materials, including works not publicly displayed in over a century. A 256-page e

The exhibition travels to Chicago, Cincinnati, Charlottesville, and possibly other venues.

Guest: Karli Wurzelbacher, PhD

Chief Curator at the Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington, New York. After five years of research, she's curated "Emma Stebbins: Carving Out History" - the first museum exhibition dedicated to this pioneering 19th century American sculptor.

Host: Lucy Branch MA ACR - conservator and art historian specialising in bronze post-19th sculpture and architectural features. Contact: [email protected]

This podcast is brought to you by Antique Bronze

Please support the show

In this episode, sculptor and writer, Aidan Harte joins Lucy Branch to discuss his journey from animation to classical sculpture training in Florence, and the extraordinary controversy surrounding his first public sculpture - a horse-headed figure from Irish folklore called a Púca.

What We Discuss:

• How animation training shaped Aiden's approach to sculptural composition and silhouette
• The value of classical training at Florence's ateliers versus contemporary art education
• The púca commission and the year-long battle that followed when a parish priest condemned it as "pagan"
• Why the sculpture eventually found its home 10 miles from its original location
• The challenge of creating fantasy and folklore in public sculpture
• Political dimensions of public art in Ireland
• The absence of visual art addressing Northern Ireland's troubles, despite rich literary responses
• Parallels between writing and sculpture - the importance of editing and "killing your darlings"

Find Aiden Harte:

• Website: aidanharte.com
• Instagram: @aidanhartesculptor
• Writing: The Spectator, Quillette, The Critic

Key Takeaway:Public art requires courage - both from artists willing to create bold work and from commissioners brave enough to defend their initial vision when controversy strikes.

If you're enjoying Sculpture Vulture, please share it with fellow sculpture enthusiasts and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

This podcast was brought to you by Antique Bronze

Today on the show, Lucy Branch, speaks to Juliet Rix an award-winning writer, editor, and broadcaster about the female figures commemorated in London's public sculpture.

Key Discussion Points:

• The timing of the book: Why statues of women have only really proliferated in the 21st century
• Statistics: Fewer than 1 in 6 of London's commemorative statues were for women as of 2021, but more women than men were commemorated in 2022-23
• Fascinating women featured:
• Allegorical figures: Britannia, Justice, and their historical significance
• Hidden stories: The National Gallery's facade statues (castoffs from Marble Arch), the female Ariel atop the Bank of England
• Controversial works: Discussion of Alison Lapper Pregnant and the Mary Wollstonecraft statue
• The nude in public sculpture: From the erotic Atalanta to the natural "Deliverance"
• Funding challenges: Why public sculpture remains difficult to fund despite public interest

Juliette's Upcoming Events:

• Talk at the National Gallery: 21st October
• More events listed at www.julietterix.com

Connect with Juliette:

• Website: www.julietterix.com
• Instagram: @julietterix
• LinkedIn

Also in this episode: Martin Jennings interview (Season 1)⁠ - Martin has recently won the major commission for the Queen Elizabeth II sculpture in St. James's ParkHost's Details : Lucy Branch MA ACR Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠Instagram/Threads: @lucybranchsculpturevulture

Today on the show, Lucy Branch speaks to sculptor Tom Murphy whose public sculptures celebrate the rich and wonderful history of Liverpool's people.

We discuss his artistic journey and service to those who commission his works.

Join us and Be Inspired By Sculpture

You can see photos of Tom's work and read the transcript at www.sculpturesulture.co.uk

Contact Lucy Branch - [email protected]

This podcast is created by ⁠AntiqueBronze⁠

In this end of season episode, host Lucy Branch, interviews British artist Neale Andrew. Neale shares his journey into sculpture, his epiphany moment and his approach to defining himself as a sculptor.

Lucy also discusses current conservation projects and the recent news in the sculpture world, including the repatriation of the largest ever collection of Benin bronzes. Renowned sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro, is remembered.

00:00 Introduction to Sculpture Vulture

00:35 Challenges in Conservation Work

01:37 Upcoming Projects and Public Interactions

02:45 Significant Sculpture News

04:19 Tribute to Arnaldo Pomodoro

06:52 Interview with British Artist Neale Andrews

25:45 The Compromised Sculpture Idea

26:38 First Public Piece and Artistic Integrity

28:22 Sculpture of Richard Hadley and Jeff Boycott

30:16 DH Lawrence Relief Sculpture

31:57 Abstract Elements in Figurative Sculpture

35:11 Influences and Inspirations

38:43 Public vs. Private Sculpture Work

44:13 Wrapping Up the Season

Please support the show by buying either:

⁠Bronze Behaving Badly: Principles ofBronze Conservation⁠

or

⁠Wax On Wax Off: How To Care For BronzeSculpture⁠

or by buying me a coffee - Buy Me A Coffee.Com buymeacoffee.com/lucybranchLucy Branch is also a fiction author, her fiction always features sculpture.

This podcast is created by ⁠Antique Bronze⁠

Ceri Thomas—artist, curator, and son of renowned Welsh sculptor Robert Thomas—joins Lucy Branch to reflect on growing up in a house full of creativity, clay, and community spirit. We talk about his father’s mission to celebrate Welsh life through public sculpture, plans for a centenary retrospective, and the importance of representing working-class figures and women in bronze. Ceri also shares insights from his own creative path and his work on his interest in projects like Monumental Welsh Women and the upcoming Rhodri Morgan statue.

🎨 See Ceri’s paintings: www.cerithomasart.com

See the blogpost with images: www.sculpturevulture.co.uk

Other episodes on Sculpture Vulture about Robert Thomas' Sculpture - Public Sculpture: Coalville To Indianapolis

Please support the show by buying Bronze Behaving Badly or ⁠Wax On Wax Off ⁠ by Lucy Branch - at Amazon UK and can be ordered wherever books are soldThis podcast is created by ⁠⁠

Antique Bronze⁠-⁠ Conservation and Restoration of Sculpture and Architectural Features.

Today on the show, Lucy Branch interviews Dr. Neil Armstrong, who has created one of Cornwall's most distinctive sculpture parks. What began as a simple need for "proper playtime" evolved into Treemenheere: a sculpture park built upon a philosophy.

This is the story of a man who turned his back on funding bodies and committees to create something purely according to his own vision. As Neil puts it, everything arrives "on the good ship serendipity," and that openness to possibility has created one of Britain's most thoughtful contemporary art spaces.

Find out more: Treemenheere

Key Discussion Points

• From GP to Garden Creator - How a mid-career need for adventure led to creating Treemenheere
• The Holy Trinity Philosophy - Balancing landscape, sculpture and planting in perfect harmony
• Learning What Not to Do - His three-month European sculpture park research sabbatical
• The Committee of One - Why he avoids funding bodies and committees to preserve his vision
• Sculptures Must Earn Their Keep - How artworks function within the landscape, not just decorate it
• The Good Ship Serendipity - His unique approach to discovering and selecting artists
• The Serious Amateur Tradition - Pursuing excellence for love rather than money
• From Personal Passion to Public Good - How a private project became a cultural institution

Please support the show by buying Wax On Wax Off by Lucy Branch - at Amazon UK and can be ordered wherever books are sold

⁠This podcast is created by ⁠Antique Bronze⁠