What's been going on in the world of Body Sculpture
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.
- Body Sculpture - 2 Weardale Close, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 7JD 
- +44 (0)118 9313 496 
-