From Noel Ashton's Studio in Capetown, South Africa

Over the past few days I have been completing the final of the eight relief panels for around the base of the Sacred Ocean sculpture, of two Yangtze River dolphins swimming slowly together, and this has really brought home to me the importance of bringing into focus the plight of the world’s whales and dolphins. Last year the Yangtze River dolphin was officially declared extinct, a blight on the record for marine conservation as this species could have been saved if co-ordinated planning and practical conservation measures had been put in place in time.

From Noel Ashton’s studio in Cape Town

It is late in the evening and the studio is in complete darkness but for
the single spotlight above the sculpting table. For the past few hours I have been working on the central piece for the Sacred Ocean sculpture, the two humpback whales that hang suspended from the bones, capturing a special moment as the mother and calf touch momentarily as they glide by. Times like these in the studio are very focused, my concentration aided by the fact that there are no distractions, no sounds, nothing intrusive, not even any reference notes. Those notes are in my head, gleaned from countless hours studying, watching and drawing humpbacks, so now my hands trace invisible lines as they search for the form in the clay.

From Noel Ashton’s studio in Cape Town

Creating a sculpture of the size and complexity of Sacred Ocean involves a long and complicated journey. Initially the process is entirely creative, a beginning that involves the coming together of emotion, creativity and visualisation, as the form and meaning of the piece are originated entirely in the mind.

Then the process of drawing brings out the actual form onto paper – a lengthy process of exploration as the sculpture is brought into the light of day, where the internal images are laid down and the structure of the three dimensions worked out. It is one thing to imagine a sculpture like this, it is another to try to transfer the concept and structure into reality, and most of this occurs during this stage of drawing. Only after this process is completed can the physical journey of creating the three dimensional work begin, and to do this I needed first to visit the bones of the southern right whale that washed up near Cape Point a few years ago.

On the windswept coast the bones protrude from the sand, the end of a journey of a lifetime in the water, and it is here that I went to connect with the whales. Not only was this an opportunity to look closely at the bones, their structure, shape, colour and texture, but it also gave me a unique opportunity to be with whales. This might seem unusual, but as an artist it is incredibly important to engage all realities, and these times spent with the bones gave me a chance to reflect on their hidden lives below the surface. These are quiet times, and a very different experience from watching migrating whales or mothers with calves, and involves a more spiritual journey of connecting with the soul of the whale. At times unexpected insights and thoughts appear, and I often wonder if it is these connections that the elephants seek when they spend time with the bones of their ancestors. Although I did make some notes whilst with the bones, most of what I gained from this experience I carry within me, and use these emotions and connections to keep my focus and integrity as the process of creating the actual sculpture progresses…

More next week as I discuss sculpting the two humpback whales and why I chose this majestic species…

25 July 2008

From Noel Ashton’s studio in Cape Town

“For many years I have watched with horror and dismay as the whaling ships leave port and head towards the Southern Ocean Sanctuary in pursuit of whales. A shiver runs down my spine when I recall the deeply disturbing images of the hunt…of the harpooned whale thrashing in the water as it slowly dies, red blood in the blue water, tortured death-throws lasting up to an hour.

I am deeply disturbed by these events....

....and I am not alone. Around the world hundreds of thousands of people are horrified by these brutal actions, but they have found no single voice to speak of their feelings. I would like this sculpture to become their voice.”

Noel Ashton, 2008

Sitting by the fire under a rising African moon, the concept of the Sacred Ocean sculpture came to me. To the ancient peoples of this vast continent, fireside times were opportunities to connect with the mysterious inner and outer beings, and to express this through stories, images and dance. For me that night was one of those rare moments when inspiration and creativity merged in a flash of focused energy; and with time the form of the sculpture was slowly borne out of the smoke and the sparks of the fire, and it finally became real when I grappled with large charcoal drawings in the studio. It was only when the sun returned that the image was complete, fought over and meaded, pulled slowly from the recesses of my wandering mind.