Tobias graduated from Hereford College of Arts in applied Arts. He worked with renowned East Anglian sculptors Lawrence Edwards and Antonia Hopton before setting up his own workshop and studio in Suffolk. His unique pieces are made of fragments of steel welded together in his forge. He also uses a highly inventive technique of wire and plaster for his figure pieces.
Primarily concerned with movement and form, Tobias is interested in capturing intent, anatomical lines and the more subtle communicative properties of physical bodies – be that human, avian, or animal. ‘There is a mesmerising aestheticism about line, smooth or jagged, that inspires me. The intrigue felt whilst observing gravity pull a gait is something I intend to share with viewers.'
Using a highly original way of sculpting metal, small fragments of steel are welded together into a mass to create form. Quickly adding and removing segments eventually gives way to the mind’s vision of figure. Modelling the poses whilst sculpting enables Tobias to experience how they feel, find the weight and the strain, and instinctively transfer this physical feel of the position into the sculpture itself.
'I aim to capture the subtle communicative properties of the body. Whilst making these figures I connect with a character or personality through the pose. Getting into the pose myself enables me to see how it feels, find the weight and make the figure by transferring into the sculpture how I physically feel. The building up of small fragments and unifying them into a form enables ambiguity to lead my eye.'
Using a highly original way of sculpting metal, small fragments of steel are welded together into a mass to create form. Quickly adding and removing segments eventually gives way to the mind’s vision of figure. Modelling the poses whilst sculpting enables Tobias to experience how they feel, find the weight and the strain, and instinctively transfer this physical feel of the position into the sculpture itself.
'I aim to capture the subtle communicative properties of the body. Whilst making these figures I connect with a character or personality through the pose. Getting into the pose myself enables me to see how it feels, find the weight and make the figure by transferring into the sculpture how I physically feel. The building up of small fragments and unifying them into a form enables ambiguity to lead my eye.'
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