'My Mind Is Free, I Can Be Anywhere'

This sculpture was created from sculpting over a 1,000 individual heads that all interlock together, and all hand painted with unique faces.

It includes rare Electron Valves for radar from World War 2 (also includes a very rare prototype WW2 Electron Valve). There is also 1930's condensers, 1950's aircraft electronics; including ferrous bronze gears, off  Vulcan bomber radios.

The Antique frame is over a 150 years old. It is a Victorian Rococo Revival Gold Gilt frame, with beautiful patination, made wood and ornate plaster work, circa 1870.

I knew exactly the type of frame I wanted, something Antique of this style, that would contrast completely with the sculpture. It took me a year to find this perfect frame. The inner frame, made of 82 'L shaped' painted and stamped platforms, the supporting steel structure, and the sculpture itself, were all made to fit tightly within the Victorian frame. The frame only supports it's own weight and sits easily onto the sculpture, it would not have held the weight of the piece by itself.

It measures 99 x 86 cm.

I was watching Breakfast TV and they were interviewing Harry Billinge. He was one of the first British soldiers to land on Gold beach on D-Day in 1944. He was asked about Coronavirus, and he having to isolate, and how it had affected him. He said

       "My Mind is Free, I can be anywhere".

That sentence just had a massive impact on me. We may all be restricted, have to conform for the greater good, have our liberties reduced; but we have our minds and boundless imaginations, which cant be caged, and can take us anywhere.

Harry, you are a personal hero to me in so many ways. Thank you for the service you gave that gives us our precious freedom, and thank you for your wise philosophy which shows, no matter how old we are, with focus we can all touch the stars.

This sculpture could  perhaps represent our life through Covid, run by politicians and scientists. It could be us in our daily lives caught up in the 9 to 5, having to conform to get by. It could be a compound on a strange planet, run by  tyrannical overseers. It could be so many things!

But when all said and done, if our minds are free, we can be anywhere.