Sculpture

A New Way of Working from Nature

Sally Matthews b.1964 in Tamworth Staffordshire. Matthews is the daughter of a vet and has used both domestic and wild animals throughout her work.

‘Everyone has their own reasons for using animals in art, but for me I always go back to the animals themselves for inspiration. My love of them, their different form, movement, smell and nature are the reasons for my making them. I want my work to remind people of our need for animals and the example their nature provides us with.’

Matthews was always fascinated by her fathers vetinary and animal books.Knowledge of bone and muscle structure is invaluable, so she measures and draws dead animals.A metal armature is the start of most of her sculptures and is the equivalent of a quick line drawing from life.

‘Muscle’ and ‘flesh’ is built around the frame, in the same way that more marks are added on a worked drawing.

Matthews aims to depict an animals qualities and characteristics and tries to show any parallels in human behaviour.

Any of the materials used has a relevance to the subject being made.

Materials used in her sculptures include:-Coire fibreCow muckSteelCopperWood

The materials Matthews uses for her sculptures and drawings are suggested by the subject or the place she is working in.