Ben Dearnley: Sourcing Marble from Carrara, Italy
Sculptor, Ben Dearnley, has just come back from a trip to Carrara, Italy to source marble for his next sculptures – a journey he has made a few times already and in his own words, ‘one of the most special parts of my practice as a sculptor, as It allows me to get into the heart of the mountains and select the marble which I feel is right for my practice and which resonates with me personally.’
Ben doesn’t have a preconceived idea for a sculpture prior to sourcing the marble or precious ‘white gold’ as the Italians call it. The marble blocks that Ben has chosen are now in his studio in Wales waiting for him to reveal their form. We can’t wait to see the finished pieces!
Travel with Ben in the timeline below:
1. En route to the mountains of marble, in between France and Italy, This is on the way….on my return I went over the Alps
2, Checking out the marble in the mountains of Carrara.
3, The open quarries in Carrara, marble being cut directly from the mountains
4, Large view
5, Sunrise on the peak of the marble mountain
6, Driving back to Carrara town for breakfast
7. Ben’s marble stones ready to load up.
8. A quick stop in Florence from a visit to his old teacher.
9. View of the Alps.
10 Saying Goodbye to Italy again
11. Sneak peek into Ben’s studio and his latest work…watch this space for more updates!