P.Wharton
19/1
Upon me. Upon you.
This is my little spin on Karma and what goes around, comes around.
Cast in 833 grams of solid Sheffield pewter.
W 626 mm/H 855 mm /D 730 mm
Hope’s last call/Phoenix.
Serial no 1PW1819
Cast in solid Sheffield Pewter.
Weight 970 grams.
Approximately/W20cm/H11cm/D11cm
Limited edition 1 of 1
In private US collection.
Left wing, although a spin-off piece from Hopes Last Call, I always thought of the wing as a piece in itself. And has more of a Rebirth than a loss about it. Hence Hope’s Last Call/Phoenix.
The right wing ( image below ) came into being thanks to a commission of sorts from Michael Molloy of NJ USA. And would not have came into being without his passion and support for a pair of wings. Many thanks for the photograph below of them in their new home with you.
Above image curtesy of Michael Molloy
Right wing/2020
Serial no 1pw310120
Cast in solid Sheffield Pewter
Weight 1.440 grams
Approximately/W16/H11cm/D11cm
No 1 0f 2. In private US collection
Samos
Right side Stamped/Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not;
Left side stamped/ remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for. Epicurus
Serial number 1606x2019x1301
Cast in solid Sheffield Pewter
Weight 1.322kg
Approximately/H11.6cm/D11.2cm
Limited edition of 1
Isabella
Although this is the Final piece in the series from the Presence of their absence/The wheel of mourning/bereft, it was only intended to be cast in resin. And the
resin bust never had a name.
But every morning she looks at me from her Ivory cast gaze saying, you haven’t finished. Cast me. So here she is. Isabella. And unlike the resin bust, there is
something in her gaze that is less bereft. And I like this.
Isabella. 050619
Medium/Solid Sheffield pewter.
Process/lost wax cast.
Weight/1.462 kg
Approximately/W6.7cm/H10.2cm/D6.8cm
In private collection of MW
Is this art? Does it mean anything?
Talk about early bird catches the worm. Got up at 5:30am. Washed the dishes after breakfast, and on Squeezing out this baby wipe to clean the taps, this little bird appears out of the crush. All I’ve done here is wipe the water from the wipe off my hand and put the wipe back as it emerged from my hand . Is this art? And if so, who claims credit for this piece?
Some would say, maybe it’s a sign. Or Maybe, a Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush? It’s all a matter of personal translation? For myself (on this occasion) it’s a good philosophical debate.
From a Human perspective, whatever the interpretation, this will always appear to be far greater than the sum of its parts. Why?
Hope's last call
Work in progress. Clay/Pewter/white fiberglass paste
Q&A
“Do you ever run short of ideas?”
“...Subjects are presenting themselves 24/7. And I’m so easily inspired.
I’ll run out of life first.”
2020
Entitled/2020. Hear more of what you see.
Award presentation Piece.
Lost wax cast in solid Sheffield Pewter
Weight 665 grams
W1106mm H1083mm D48mm Approximately
SN 24022020/19
WIFI
WiFi is a modern-day gargoyle and is meant to be a symbolic guardian of civility, equality and fair play over the internet and social media. Mindfully poised with all the trappings of social media by way of a mobile phone and Net-book/computer/console. I’ve tried to apply all this in a form that is more engaging to children than that of adults. Hence the gargoyle super hero Spider-Man creed vibe I’d hope children would pick up on.
The point? The purpose?
I’d hoped that WiFi is an accessible, engaging platform for adults to open up a responsible dialogue with children and minors regarding their wellbeing, responsibilities and concerns about the World Wide Web. And hence the
Code of conduct for the internet, social media, gaming AND LIFE Info card/BOOKMARK.
Info card/BOOKMARK. Front.
Code of conduct for the internet, social media, gaming AND LIFE
Children!
Never give away your true identity or location to strangers.
If you are ever pressured to do so,
Ignore, block and tell.
See useful links below.
Adults!
If you give children (online) age restricted games
and apps above their age group, you are potentially
placing your children in an adult environment
with adult strangers.
We live in an age of mass data surveillance and
backup. Actions have consequences that could
disastrously backfire. By UK law you are accountable
should you instigate hatred and discrimination
anywhere. Be responsible. And Kind.
All of us!
There is an army of trolls out there waiting
to rain on our parade. A friend once told me
“If you get into an argument with idiots, they
will drag you down to their level and beat you
with experience”.
Ignore, block and tell.
See useful links below.
It’s not all bad. Be positive, respectful,
kind and sympathetic. Give more credit to
good things you come across. Share positive
things.
But always think responsibly concerning
your details.
See useful links below.
Info card/BOOKMARK. Back.
WiFi accompanying literature and content.
Schools, parents, guardians, friends and so on, please feel free to print, copy and circulate any WiFi material here in support of this.
WiFi can be available locally for schools to loan via the contact page on my website should you wish to run your own awareness event.
As an extension to this project, perhaps create your own WiFi type guardian along with its own story line and share with class mates.
Useful LINKS
https://www.internetmatters.org/
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/findoutmore/stay-safe-facts
https://www.churchofengland.org/terms-and-conditions/our-social-media-community-guidelines
Working model in clay. Notice the paper phone and tablet.
What makes it well worth while.
Whilst I was in Manchester Cathedral proposing WiFi for exhibit, Canon Holgate asked a visiting teacher there could she introduce WiFi to her pupils for their opinion.
On me asking them what colour should I paint him, they simply said, leave him as he is. Originally I had intended to spray WiFi fluorescent green. During the proposal that day, WiFi was in the distressed grey he will now remain.
Then, the teacher ushered forward a young pupil and said to him, “Well ask him”.
The little boy asked, “ Do you make dinosaurs?”
Utter magic I thought just before replying, “Well, if you look at his hands, they are like a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and his spine is a little like a brontosaurus. So maybe he is a little bit of a dinosaur”.
He seemed quite happy with this. And this made my day.
Working on fiberglass model.
WiFi. The weird arty stuff.
Everything, everywhere is connected in one form or another. And when you realise this, things aren’t as random as you may have first thought.
Subject matter from all directions form a dialogue. And you seek to transform that sometimes chaotic, diverse dialogue into a form of that presence.
I was intrigued by the idea of the internet, social media and it’s uncanny similarities to that of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And somehow merging this with the four wise monkeys, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil and do no evil.
Possibly due to over thinking this, I dreamt I was watching a native elder teaching a young boy the spiritual and survival ways of his ancestors. And I remember thinking, I wish that was me being taught.
Then I was transported to vast open grasslands, straggling behind two or three native elders heading towards a snow covered mountain miles in the distance. At this time, I was holding a mobile phone and tablet PC, and one of the elders said “if you’d like to learn our ways, you will have to leave those at home”.
It was then I was aware I was dreaming and thought, to leave these at home, I will have to go to sleep to wake up? So I sought a safe hilltop to fall asleep. Then I awoke for real. At some point I was told the name of the snow covered mountain but I couldn’t clearly recall this on waking. High and low I trawled the internet until I hit on Mount Kailash. No vast open grasslands, though. But the name hits home.
From then on it was set that all this would have to take the presence of a wise guardian. A guide. A defending gargoyle of sorts? Something that could convey the presence of all this subject matter. And WiFi came to mind for the title. The tree of knowledge of good and evil.
The four wise monkeys, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil and do no
evil are all symbolised here by way of a featureless face. And by way of the do no evil is the critically poised uneaten apple at its feet.
WiFi. Photographs copyright/courtesy of Harry Dobbs.
Manchester Cathedral from 15th July 2019.
Q&A
“Would you say you are spiritually influenced?”
“..Definitely in as much as I can’t take all the credit. I’m sure it’s someone’s spirit. I take what comes to me, then wing it the rest of the way. I don't bite the hand that feeds me.“