See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.com
Sculpture Vulture is a podcast which we love, and if you haven’t discovered it yet, we’re sure you’ll enjoy it. Produced and presented by bronze conservator and restorer Lucy Branch of Antique Bronze in the UK, it offers insights shaped by her specialist work in sculpture restoration, war memorial conservation and bronze maintenance.
Lucy hosts conversations with contemporary sculptors, shares the stories behind historic statues, and explores the wider world of public sculpture. Her storytelling is shaped by her distinctive training: a degree in Art History with Material Studies from University College, followed by a Masters in Conservation from the Royal College of Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum.
As well as caring for many much-loved UK monuments, including Nelson’s Column, Eros, Cleopatra’s Needle and the Albert Memorial. Lucy has also restored bronze sculptures by artists who worked in Pietrasanta, among them Henry Moore, Helaine Blumenfeld and Igor Mitoraj.
Lucy invited Sarah to share how Materially Speaking began, and to reflect on the artistic community of Pietrasanta. As they exchange stories of their favourite sculptures, Lucy introduces the idea of “sculptural tourism”, even imagining a sculpture passport for travellers and together they draw out insights into how we encounter public art today.
Lucy is also a writer and novelist, and you can support her work by exploring her books: Wax On Was Off: How to Care for Your Bronze Sculpture and Bronze Behaving Badly: The Principles of Bronze Conservation.
We also highly recommend her excellent podcast series, Sculpture Vulture, available on Spotify, Google and Apple Podcasts.
