MICHAEL JAMES TALBOT

Artistic background

Born in Staffordshire in 1959, Michael's initial fascination with clay began with studio pottery at art school. This, combined with his understanding of human figure dynamics developed in the life drawing class, set him on his creative path and a lifelong study of the figurative image.
After completing a BA Hons degree in Sculpture, he gained a scholarship to the Royal Academy Schools London for post graduate study in 1980, winning the Landseer Prize in 1983. He studied further at The Sir Henry Doulton Sculpture School under Colin Melbourne ARCA and Dame Elizabeth Frink RA. Michael was elected a member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors in 1997.
The inspiration for Michael`s work has always been the human form and its dramatic poetry. It is this, together with his exquisite skills that make his work so individual, intricate and beautiful. Michael creates the original clay sculpture which he then casts into bronze, uniquely finishing and patinating each sculpture. This process is wholly under his control allowing him to enhance and refine the final image. The wonder and fascination of sculpture is its ability to be a solid form that can be seen, touched and walked around and yet remain an object of pure spirit.
Michael's work has recently evolved from traditional female figures and dancers to encompass more contemporary creations, blending beautiful and intricately detailed figures with contemporary shapes and themes. The results are stunning works of art that are comfortably at home in very different environments, from extremely modern to the very traditional.
"The human form gives me an endless source of inspiration. The subtlest of movements and expressions can be captured in the sculpture to portray myriad emotions and convey tension, drama, fluidity and grace. No other subject has this richness of emotional and spiritual content or the capacity to convey such a broad and interesting narrative."
Michael's sculpture is in public and private collections throughout the world including: Patrick Lichfield, former chairman of the Arts Council, Lord Gibson and the Nat West Bank. He has many portraiture sculpts to his name including leading politician Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the actress Jamie Winstone, hotelier David Morgan Hewitt, Royal Ballet Principle Dancers, Edward Watson and Lauren Cuthbertson, and most recently has unveiled a John Rudge Bronze at Port Vale Football Club. His exciting portfolio also includes projects with the No Fit State Circus , The Royal Ballet and the Supermodel Kate Moss, creating stunning new bodies of contemporary sculpture.

Quote

"Sculpture for me, is essentially a theatrical construction, an attempt to show and illuminate a chosen moment in time. I draw my creative inspiration from theatre, myth, dance and illusion. "I work from the live model in my pursuit of a particular momentary form or gesture. This I contrast with the absolute nature of bronze. It is what remains when time sweeps all else away. When we gaze into the face of an ancient bronze in a museum, what reaches out across the millennia of time is not how different, but how like us they were."

Interests

I would say Ballet for sculpture, is as the moth to the flame. My fascination is in the rehearsal of ballet - in the attempt and reattempt, rather than the formal performance.
In art, I love timeless depictions of the feminine, anything by Rembrandt and Rodin.
Day to day, endless cups of tea and Radio 4

Accepts Commissions?

Yes