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Wednesday 23 April 2014


EDITORIAL BY JADE MAGAZINE FOR "BODY SCULPTURE"


EDITORIAL BY JADE MAGAZINE FOR "BODY SCULPTURE"

Please see attached Editorial from Mark at "Jade Magazine" Thank you Mark you are a star.



It has been a little while since we last caught up with the ever busy mastersculptor and established erotic
photographer Ken Clarke (a former founding father of the Guild of Erotic Artists), and after last month’s feature
on his photographic work we decided to pay Ken a visit and see what the latest news is from his ‘HQ’ in deepest
darkest Berkshire. .Since we last met Ken his School of Lifecasting has really taken off, capturing the imagination of aspiring sculptors worldwide. Visitors from far and wide now regularly attended a variety of courses run by Ken at his studios. The courses on offer range from a single introductory day to an intensive five-day stay. Indeed, the courses have proved so popular that Ken and Jenny (his wife and partner) are launching a new one-day ‘taster’ introductory course with a live model demonstration.

 These new ‘tasters’ take a maximum of four students and the next ones are scheduled for the 26th April and the 24th May. As an added incentive, all those students who attend the new one day courses are eligible to a 20% discount on further ongoing courses, where they can fully develop their skills. .The private 1-2-1 workshop courses, which are deliberately designed for students of all ages, both at home and abroad, continue to work well with aspiring sculptors travelling from as far afield as Singapore,  and, the USA, Portugal, Italy and Spain. At the end of their course each student gets to take home with them a beautiful casting they have made during their time with Ken. As a part of their ‘all in’ service, the couple also offer pick up for students from airports and train stations, good quality accommodation with local hotels and bed and breakfast Establishments, along with tea and coffee all day, beverages and even an evening meal if required.

 The entire range of courses also include everything the budding sculptor needs from notebooks to materials for casting. Prices range from £150 for the new one-day ‘taster’, to £1,150 for the full five-day intensive course (with options for 2, 3 and 4-day courses tailored to the needs of the student). There has been great feedback from the courses and the fine testimonials continue to pour in. However, anyone who knows Ken, or has ever read one of our features on him and his work, knows he is not one to sit back on his laurels but is always moving forward with fresh ideas, and, in this vein of progressing his art form and reaching out to a wider audience, 

Ken  is now demonstrating on the ‘art of lifecasting’ using live models, followed by question and answer sessions in a number of Universities and Colleges. In October 2013, Nottingham’s Trent University invited Ken to do a one-day course and were so impressed with him that he has been invited back to do more courses in the future. The University also did a brief interview with Ken, the text of which is kindly included at the end of this special feature. Of course, for Ken and Jenny, it still remains business as usual, with great interest still being shown in private commissions, again from clients both at home and abroad. And for those art lovers seeking to purchase some fine art sculpture for their homes or offices, or simply for private art collections,

 Ken has adapted his studio to enable the purchase of some of his best work, all of which are unique one-off originals signed by Ken. For those art lovers watching their art spend budget there are also a number of reasonably priced ‘multiples’ and the opportunity to negotiate on some of Ken’s back stock of work. As Ken continues to work hard and to evolve his erotic fine art sculpting it is easy to recognise that, thanks to his vision and industry, Body Sculpture has come a long way since its inception and Ken and Jenny are laying the firm foundations for years to come. Where once most of Ken’s work was done on a private commission basis, today Body Sculpture is equally divided between commissions and an ever-growing interest in tuition, lecturing and popular live demonstrations.

 Ken also now advises students at degree level, those into their third and fourth year at the Universities and Colleges where he brings his vast experience to bear when he speaks to them about the international film, television and theatre industries of which he was a part for so long. He also cautions them on the cold realities of life as an artist, the struggles and the pitfalls, the highs and the lows and helps them to understand what it is that lies before them. With a whole world of arts and crafts to explore. We now live in a very visual world and not all the answers we seek are in cyberspace. For those with an artist’s soul there is nothing to compare with the reality of combining the imagination of the mind and its creativity with the power of the hands to create something beautiful which can last for the generations to come to enjoy.

An adience with Leading Sculptor Ken Clarke
By Harry Wilding

In October 2013, Nottingham’s Trent University hosted a ‘masterclass’in the art of bodycasting for film theatre, and television. Attendees on this one-day course were introduced to bodycasting by Ken Clarke, a man who has cast body parts of the likes of such cinematic luminaries as Peter Sellers, Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver, Mark Hamill, Albert Finney and even Yoda. Ken has worked with many acclaimed directors such as Spielberg, Lucas, Attenborough, Polanski, Cameron, Gilliam, Kubrick, and Ridley Scott, and his extensive film portfolio includes Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Alien, Superman, The Shining and Who Framed Roger Rabbit .prior to the master class, Harry Wilding caught up with Ken to ask him a few questions:
 Harry: Tell us a bit about your business, Body  culpture.
 Ken: We are highly crafted, articulate and creative. We sell the experience to our clients by taking moulds and castings in a live state and then turn them into an art, art nude, sensual and erotic 3D form. Clients come from all over the world to interact with me and form beautiful art pieces. These can be cast in different
mediums - blended plasters is the most popular material
Harry: How and when did you get into this line of work?
Ken:
I started in 1964 and had the privilege of a five-year apprenticeship at Shepperton Film Studios, alongside
a five-year attendance at Lime Grove College of Art and Design. It was very intense and informative – it involved
practical and theory of fibrous, ornate plastering for use on massive period, present and futuristic film sets. This was working under an independent studio system at the studios of British Lion. Other studios such as Pinewood, MGM, Denham, Twickenham, Bray and many more were more of a fixed studio system. After my apprenticeship I decided to go freelance and work directly with the companies rather than the studio - I was then free to express my creativity, rather than being suppressed.
 Harry: Did you always want to work in the movies?
 Ken: I was too young to appreciate or have the knowledge of such a dream. It was purely through my craft at West London College that I could climb a ladder within that craft. I was selected for an interview at Shepperton and from this my career in
the film industry opened up. I pushed hard and became the youngest Head of Department, at the age of 24. I then
started to recruit artisans from across the globe. The skills I formed from my training evolved over my first stage of working in films into animatronics, make-up and prosthetics; which demanded taking moulds and castings from the human form. Most of my work in this area was with Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and other directors. 
 Harry: Can you give us some examples of what work you did on certain films?
 Ken: I’ve worked on numerous film sets, ships, planes, spaceships and vehicles, castles, buildings, special effects work, make-up, and wardrobe. In Star Wars I worked on Chewbacca, C3PO, R2D2, as well as moulding actors Harrison Ford and Sigourney Weaver.
Harry:  Is bodycasting still as relevant to filmmaking as it once was, with the increased use of CGI?
Ken: It speaks for itself that it has diminished over the years, but it has not been forgotten or forsaken in favour of
CGI. I still get small commissions, but my main target now is to continue with the craft of bodycasting. I will never retire, I have too much to achieve. The computer and CGI started to an evening meal if required. The entire range of courses also include everything the budding sculptor needs from notebooks to materials for casting. Prices range from £150 for the new one-day ‘taster’, to £1,150 for the full five-day intensive course (with options for 2, 3 and 4-day courses tailored to the needs of the student). There has been great feedback from the courses and the fine testimonials continue to pour in.

 However, anyone who knows Ken, or has ever read one of our features on him and his work, knows he is not one to sit back on his laurels but is always moving he is now demonstrating on the ‘art of lifecasting’ using live models, followed by question and answer sessions in a number of Universities and Colleges. In October 2013, Nottingham’s erode the creativity of 3D and that’s when I formed Body Sculpture, to continue my life’s journey to work with people and materials, not with computers. Don’t get me wrong, CGI blue screen, green screen and computer wizardry is absolutely fantastic these days; they ‘make’ films, we ‘built’ them, literally.
 Harry: Is there a film you had a particularly stand out great experience on?
 Ken: Yes, Midnight Express in 1977, with the location in Malta and Alan Parker directing. All the rest follow a close second. The whole experience was hard work, but a pleasure to be involved in.
 Harry: Who was the easiest film director to work with?
 Ken: Steven Spielberg - the creator of the storyboard. It wasn’t just reading scripts; it was for people that could read pictures, drawings and 3D. He made everyone’s life easier - in the art department, on the stage, and on location. He is a man with vision and the skills to delegate his imagination and apply it to film. An amazing man.
 Harry: Any missed opportunities?
Ken: The one film that slipped through my fingers was Ghandi, with Ben Kingsley. The make-up side of ageing him down during the film would have been something I would have liked to have been involved in. This was done by make-up artist Tom Smith who invited me to work with him, but I was already working on one of the Indiana Jones films at the time.
 Harry: Have you had any particularly good or bad bodycasting experiences with actors?
 Ken: They were all good experiences – they have to be. You have the might of the International Film Industry behind you to assist by means of its experience, atmosphere, and aterials. If it went wrong the whole industry would know within twenty-four hours. For these occasions, I have to step up to the block, with the spotlight on me. It might sound a bit over confident, but the first thing I learnt as an apprentice is that there is no such word as ‘can’t’. I carried a lot of weight on my shoulders for many years but I think credit has to go to the people behind the camera, rather than those in front of it. Actors come and go; artisans stay forever. They are the real troopers. Harry: Do you do a lot of teaching?
 Ken: I do a lot of demonstrations for different industries, exhibitions, galleries and, of course, teaching. I have taught and trained many apprentices  for film and television. I feel that teaching is for schools, whereas training is for people, so I have trained more than taught. Teaching is theory, training is practical. It is for me to hand this down to the next generation, which is why I have now formed The School of Lifecasting at my studio. .
Harry: Apart from attending your course, have you any advice for aspiring bodycasters?
 Ken: Never give up. It is a hard road with no immediate results. It is endurance, staying power and vision, but the final work is worth the effort. My best advice is to know your aterials.
For all the latest news on B ody Sculpture and to view details and prices of the courses available this year, or to
make bookings please visit the website.