Pewter Cast Desk by Max Lamb
In case you were wondering, Pewter casting doesn’t always take place indoors; in June of 2011, Max Lamb created his largest pewter cast to date in a mold that he made right on the ocean shore. Using nothing but a kitchen knife and a metal rod, the British artist (along with five assistants and ten students from Falmouth University’s 3-D department) began carving a mold into the sand on a beach in Cornwall at 4:30 in the morning. “The date of the casting was scheduled for the 28th [of] June as high tide coincided with sunrise and I knew I needed at least 6 hours to carve the mold and cast the pewter before the water table began to rise again.” By10:30 the mold was all ready for casting. The first step was to melt 180 kg of pewter, which took 30 stainless steel saucepans and 30 camp stoves. With the help of help of goggles-wearing assistants, Lamb poured the Pewter into the sand mold – and no more than an hour later, he unearthed his finished desk. Its stunning geometric structure is interrupted by “the natural texture of the sand,” while “the smooth seemingly molten surface of the pewter remains on the top surface of the desk.” Lamb’s process demonstrates an admirable adaptation to natural processes and their enormous potential for the modern world — as well as an artistic eye that continues to drive his adventurous work.
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