Maker’s Spotlight – Matthew Simmonds

Matthew Simmonds is a British sculptor and artist that has always been fascinated by stone buildings. The Brit embarked on a career in stone-masonry in 1990 after a fateful visit to Chichester Cathedral in the South of England. Witnessing the work of the stonemasons restoring the building, Simmonds had a sudden epiphany. Soon thereafter, he decided to study architectural stone carvings at Weymouth Technical College; this led the artist to work on the restoration of some of England’s most iconic monuments including Westminster Abbey.

Six years later, in 1997, Simmonds moved to Pietrasanta, Italy. The Tuscan town has been home to artisan crafts since Michelangelo’s time; in fact, in the 16^th century, Michelangelo came here to sign the marble contracts for a commissioned job. Since the Renaissance, artists from all over the world have come to Pietrasanta to hone their skills at classical marble ornamentation…learning by working alongside one another and gaining inspiration from others’ expertise.

After perfecting his skills, the time came for Simmonds to apply them as an artist. Piggy-backing on stone architecture as his central theme, the artist began revisiting medieval architecture and sought ways to bring it to live inside the marble. Simmonds “makes a play of architecture and ornamentation on a small scale.” Carving intricate miniature models of architectural spaces into parts of unfinished stone and marble, the artist is able to replicate places to rest and travel.

As the sculptures are carved, the solid mass’ interior becomes a unique place for the viewer to inspect. Inside the marble is a space is often exists within the viewer’s imagination. Where it’s the geometric patterns or the tactile textures imprinted on the archways, domes, or columns that adorn the pieces.

The significance of space remains omnipresent. Courtesy of “Beautiful Life,” Simmonds said, “To create a sculpture that catches the light and structure of a building and lets the eye wander, to feel that here my eye could live, here a part of me could stay, is a great achievement. The sculptures give the viewer a different perspective on space. They look different from every viewpoint. You long to be in them, and they seem almost more meaningful for that.”

Each sculpture measures between 30 and 50 centimeters in height; and each is carved with an individual slab of stone sourced from a quarry in Italy. Simmonds begins his process by studying the rock’s form to confirm that the sculpture’s style works with the stone’s natural aesthetic. Individual creations take between 4-6 weeks to compete; depending of course, on size and complexity. As the artist confirmed (courtesy of an interview with Lizzie Crook for Dezeen), “I find that working in miniature helps to express this, through the creation of something that can appear monumental even at a small scale.” Unique, spectacular, and thought-provoking…Simmonds’ creations capture it all!