ONE THREAD WINDS
Materials: Gambier limestone
Gambier Limestone, from South Australia, is composed of fragments of bryozoa or lace coral and shell deposited more than 15 million years ago, when a large part of southern Australia was covered by a warm sea. The shell debris has compacted over time to form a soft porous limestone that retains a matt finish. Occasionally larger shells and sharks teeth are found in the stone.
ONE THREAD WINDS
Materials: Gambier limestone
Gambier Limestone, from South Australia, is composed of fragments of bryozoa or lace coral and shell deposited more than 15 million years ago, when a large part of southern Australia was covered by a warm sea. The shell debris has compacted over time to form a soft porous limestone that retains a matt finish. Occasionally larger shells and sharks teeth are found in the stone.
WE ALL HAVE SECRET WISHES
Carrara Marble
0.36 x 0.30 x 0.15 m
Marble is formed when limestone is subjected to heat and pressure. During this metamorphic process the mineral calcite which forms all of the shell and lime fragments becomes crystalline. The original structure of any fossil is lost as the rock is heated and squeezed and the crystals of calcite grow into an interlocking matrix. Impurities in the original limestone will affect the colour and may result in interesting veins of colour through the marble.
It is the crystalline nature of marble that makes it such a marvellous sculptural medium. The stone needs to be worked with sharp chisels and rasps but the surface can be polished to a silky lustre. The capacity of calcite to reflect light both from the surface of a crystal and from planes within the crystal give a particular life to a marble sculpture.