I could listen to Simon talk about his art and his craft for ever! What a beautiful process. The phrase 'carving is essentially trapping shadows' will stay with me!
That's why speaking is so important. Not everyone knows how to put their thoughts into words. Just like explaining your emotions to another, do they understand, can they comprehend? To teach another how to explain their feelings is so important to enhance our lives.
He does such a good job of describing the process and what goes through his mind. I’d love to see this with other artists, like directors, musicians, etc
What a privilege and a blessing to be such a gifted artist, and to know that hundreds of years from now your work will still be admired and appreciated.
I am absolutely in love with sculpture. I always visit the sculpture galleries of museums and spend hours just looking at various pieces and marveling at how artists can bring out a form out of stone. Just sublime.
I've never seen marble carved before. It's rather a delicate process and really quite beautiful. with one tool erasing the marks of the tool before it.
"Removing the marks from the previous tool" until it reveals the beauty an artisans skills can create. Best description of carving I have ever heard (the essence of the process explained so well). "Roughing out" takes on a much more nuanced meaning with a Master's insight. Wonderful vlog Please share more.
This is quite a good introduction to the tools, process, and work habits for marble carving. The studio looks so authentic, and so does this artist. I have done copies too, but mine are drawings or paintings. And I agree with one point made here, which is that, aside from working to replicate the forms and style of the original, really the most important thing in the end it to somehow capture the "spirit". Successfully doing that can be difficult and elusive, and I must say that only an infinitesimally small percentage of later artists can ever achieve this. There is always a deep or moving spirit conveyed by the best artists in history, and I believe anyone copying such an artwork needs to become so immersed in recognizing that spirit that they can tap into the sensibility and purpose that the original artist must have felt.
He does a fantastic job of explaining the process in a way that makes you understand the basics without overwhelming the mind. Makes me want to try my hand at it.
What a gift to the world this man and his talent is. If only more people could eke out the gems of their life; whether through painting, music, writing, dance etc. Bravo Simon Smith !
you know how crazy you talk into it was even i had no background in sculpting, your words made me think i can. and by just following these steps wholeheartedly by means of passion of interest
There is though, you just have to be able to let go of the original vision and change your goal. Michaelangelo carved a pieta from a stone another artist had messed up, and considered unworkable.
Marble is soft and fine, try granite!! granite is extremely hard and unlike the fine grain of marble- granite is very crystaline and course, it's a very difficult stone to carve!
Ah I love this video. Very revealing to actually see someone going at the stone like this. Have always wondered about how it is with marble. "how could they make these out of stone?? stone is so hard?" a pointy metal thing and a hammer and going bit by bit by bit. fantastic
I find this incredibly interesting, I know nothing of sculpting stone much less marble but I'm simply compelled to start learning. I live on an island so the only plentiful stones or rock are either river stones or lava rock. I'll also have to learn all about the tools of the trade, chisels brushes hammers etc. Anyways I'll be investigating many more videos on this subject, Thank you so much for posting this beauty.......🎸🎸🎸♥️
I absolutely love this! I always get put off by the less than ideal level of regard in the art world regarding copies. With music a reinterpretation of an original work is celebrated and thought of this something interesting and worthwhile, whereby in art we seem to have such much obsession with the original and copies are not often celebrated. I think this video shows that it's actually a wonderful thing to reinterpret an original work in any medium.
Only just discovered this... out of all the arts the skills of a sculptor absolutely astound me! Not gonna lie! I think this is the best "taster" video to get me to find out more about this guy... thoroughly enjoyed how he explained the process, stunning work!
This is an incredible presentation. If I had seen this as a child it might have changed the direction of my life. I’ll never look at sculpture the same way again.
I never really though about it before, but carving (especially panel carving) can be though of as a drawing using actual shadows as the medium. That is such an interesting concept that I would have never thought of before.
made me want to try these tools and materials :) when I see someone doing art, I can’t help myself, but want to play with the toys these people are playing…
I’ve carved, wood, limestone and various varieties of alabaster but never marble. Gouges, mallets, points, flats, claws, rasps - loved connecting with the history of carving
Wow! Simon is an amazing Artist. I love watching him. This was the fastest Seven minutes and Thirteen seconds of my life. Thank you for this great video, Jeff
This man is amazing and i dont mean to take anything away from him with my next statement, but my mind is blown imaging people do this 700 years ago i cant believe people were that talented then, and figuring out how to do all this without modern tools or techniques, and from houses with no electricity.
It's refreshing to hear a true artist explain things in simple coherent terms versus the so called conceptual artists that spew out a bunch of nonsense trying to explain away an uninspiring useless object.
In a world dominated by digital media and increasingly by AI -- I love seeing somebody creating something by hand, and doing it well. Nothing in the world beats hand-made artistry.
Enjoyed this. I have been a stonemason for 17 years, wish someone had clarified the nuances between banker and sculpture before I started my apprenticeship. It’s a shame that masons are paid so poorly compared to other trades, never understood why.
hello, I'm curious when you say the difference what do you mean? I had as well considered these very similar more or less being that a banker is just a sculpturer in a more construction-applied form. Currently looking for an apprenticeship in stone masonry, so this is actually very relevant to me. Are you taking apprentices if so respond with your email :) thanks.
In many cases for me, listening to an artist describe his or her method of creation can be somewhat distracting from the art itself. However, this reproduction project by Simon was just the opposite, giving light to the multiple layers of craftsmanship in working with marble while honoring the vision for the final rendering. I will never look at another marble sculpture again without remembering this video. Thank you for sharing!
I could listen to Simon talk about his art and his craft for ever! What a beautiful process. The phrase 'carving is essentially trapping shadows' will stay with me!
That's why speaking is so important. Not everyone knows how to put their thoughts into words. Just like explaining your emotions to another, do they understand, can they comprehend? To teach another how to explain their feelings is so important to enhance our lives.
I can but concur, a very pleasant and inspirational narrator. That phrase, furthermore, is really an epitome of the art.
Yes that really resonated with me really meant something to me
It is always a wonderful thing, to touch the mind of an artist.
That sounds messy and extremely dangerous to the artist.
Always wash your hands first.
“Capturing shadow”. Love this so much! More of these, please!
Make sure you're subscribed - we've got something coming up
"Trapping" I know, I loved that
@@vamuseumAre there any health problems from the marble dust that a sculptor inhales during the carving process?
He does such a good job of describing the process and what goes through his mind. I’d love to see this with other artists, like directors, musicians, etc
Agreed. Other artists try to be coy or overly-philosophical to hide the actual mechanics of creating their works.
How wonderful to watch this come to life
My son is 5 and we're learning about art. I showed him this and he thought it was very interesting.
Thank you Victoria and Albert museum another great video
Donatello was an incredible and very important sculptor who must not get forgotten
Carving is just about trapping the shadow! Incredible!
1st time watching stone carving . why am i feeling so serene and relax .
Beautiful, thank you Simon Smith and Victoria and Albert Museum for sharing this with us!
What a privilege and a blessing to be such a gifted artist, and to know that hundreds of years from now your work will still be admired and appreciated.
I am absolutely in love with sculpture. I always visit the sculpture galleries of museums and spend hours just looking at various pieces and marveling at how artists can bring out a form out of stone. Just sublime.
Do you prefer colored, the sort of sculptures the ancient Greeks and Romans made, or bare stone?
@@ZephaniahL I love the bare marble and fully admit that it’s the result of our “modern” sensibilities.
I've never seen marble carved before. It's rather a delicate process and really quite beautiful. with one tool erasing the marks of the tool before it.
"Removing the marks from the previous tool" until it reveals the beauty an artisans skills can create. Best description of carving I have ever heard (the essence of the process explained so well). "Roughing out" takes on a much more nuanced meaning with a Master's insight. Wonderful vlog Please share more.
This is quite a good introduction to the tools, process, and work habits for marble carving. The studio looks so authentic, and so does this artist. I have done copies too, but mine are drawings or paintings. And I agree with one point made here, which is that, aside from working to replicate the forms and style of the original, really the most important thing in the end it to somehow capture the "spirit". Successfully doing that can be difficult and elusive, and I must say that only an infinitesimally small percentage of later artists can ever achieve this. There is always a deep or moving spirit conveyed by the best artists in history, and I believe anyone copying such an artwork needs to become so immersed in recognizing that spirit that they can tap into the sensibility and purpose that the original artist must have felt.
He does a fantastic job of explaining the process in a way that makes you understand the basics without overwhelming the mind. Makes me want to try my hand at it.
What a gift to the world this man and his talent is. If only more people could eke out the gems of their life; whether through painting, music, writing, dance etc. Bravo Simon Smith !
Really incredible to see this process and what a fabulous teacher.
you know how crazy you talk into it was even i had no background in sculpting, your words made me think i can. and by just following these steps wholeheartedly by means of passion of interest
Sculpting in my opinion is the hardest form of art. There is literally *ZERO* room for error.
There is though, you just have to be able to let go of the original vision and change your goal. Michaelangelo carved a pieta from a stone another artist had messed up, and considered unworkable.
@@travismiller5548 That was The David
I've seen some interesting errors in sculpture
@@northfield3654 no, I mean the Florentine Pieta, "the deposition"
@@travismiller5548 the one Michelangelo didn't complete and destroyed?
what an interview/documentary. skilled carver and communicates very well
I enjoyed watching thanks and love from Turkey
I learn something new each time I watch this. Simon you make me want to try this as Donatello is my favorite Early Renaissance sculptor.
"Trapping shadows" what a beautiful concept.
What a demanding art form, absolutely incredible carving into such hard material with that precision. Truly talented.
Marble is soft and fine, try granite!! granite is extremely hard and unlike the fine grain of marble- granite is very crystaline and course, it's a very difficult stone to carve!
That sublte sound made by the chisel, so carefully and proficiently driven onto the marble surface, is sheer and delightful music, to my ears.
The part at 1:57 where he says “tempered and drawn out by a blacksmith” matched perfectly with the hitting sound is so sayisfying
What a joy to watch! Thank you ❤
Nothing quite as awe inspiring as the privilege of watching a master at his craft. Beautiful man, beautiful artist.
Ah I love this video. Very revealing to actually see someone going at the stone like this. Have always wondered about how it is with marble. "how could they make these out of stone?? stone is so hard?" a pointy metal thing and a hammer and going bit by bit by bit. fantastic
Fascinating! I've always wondered how such lifelike sculptures were made. Amazing!
I find this incredibly interesting, I know nothing of sculpting stone much less marble but I'm simply compelled to start learning. I live on an island so the only plentiful stones or rock are either river stones or lava rock. I'll also have to learn all about the tools of the trade, chisels brushes hammers etc. Anyways I'll be investigating many more videos on this subject, Thank you so much for posting this beauty.......🎸🎸🎸♥️
Before I ever knew how to draw, I started to carve. I was fascinated by old building brick and how soft it was and easy to work with.
In the 2012 TMNT Donatello constantly corrected people saying his namesake was a painter. SCULPTOR he would shout!
I absolutely love this! I always get put off by the less than ideal level of regard in the art world regarding copies. With music a reinterpretation of an original work is celebrated and thought of this something interesting and worthwhile, whereby in art we seem to have such much obsession with the original and copies are not often celebrated. I think this video shows that it's actually a wonderful thing to reinterpret an original work in any medium.
He said the drawing is more of a diagram and made THAT DRAWING! Man he is talented and hardworking!
Utmost respect for people doing this work, keeping skills alive.
This experienced craftsman speaks so simply but so much experience and lessons learned
Great work, Simon. Wonderful work, V & A.
Only just discovered this... out of all the arts the skills of a sculptor absolutely astound me! Not gonna lie! I think this is the best "taster" video to get me to find out more about this guy... thoroughly enjoyed how he explained the process, stunning work!
I could listen and watch this artisans narrative and art form forever. Such an incredible technique and skill. ❤
Breathtaking! 🙏🏻
It is looking fantastic.
This is an incredible presentation. If I had seen this as a child it might have changed the direction of my life. I’ll never look at sculpture the same way again.
What an amazing video showing the talent required to create this piece of art. Thanks for sharing and Simon Smith...you are incredible!
Wonderful video!
A pity it wasn't longer though - maybe 20 minutes or so!
Very relaxing and calming watching him work. A real craftsman!
I would love a long video of him just carving. No dialogue, just pure chiselling sound.
marble is such a beautiful material
I never really though about it before, but carving (especially panel carving) can be though of as a drawing using actual shadows as the medium. That is such an interesting concept that I would have never thought of before.
Incredible. Very rare talent to see. Thank you.
Beautiful allegory on how to be compelling: small nibbles
Well done V&A! That’s a beautiful film. I wish every piece of art could be given this captivating treatment. 10/10
made me want to try these tools and materials :) when I see someone doing art, I can’t help myself, but want to play with the toys these people are playing…
seems like a genuinely nice human being,........stone carving is def' a medium I haven't tried yet,......but looks so awesome.
That was amazing, the way you described it it really meant something to me.
I’ve carved, wood, limestone and various varieties of alabaster but never marble. Gouges, mallets, points, flats, claws, rasps - loved connecting with the history of carving
Wow! Simon is an amazing Artist. I love watching him.
This was the fastest Seven minutes and Thirteen seconds
of my life.
Thank you for this great video,
Jeff
This is so amazing! Thank you!
Thanks for posting such awesome content! What an amazing artist he is and I loved the way he explained his process.
Thank you for keeping the dream alive - real artistry.
this is so fascinating!! please give us more videos like this!!
great interview
love this … such beautiful craftsmanship
This man is amazing and i dont mean to take anything away from him with my next statement, but my mind is blown imaging people do this 700 years ago i cant believe people were that talented then, and figuring out how to do all this without modern tools or techniques, and from houses with no electricity.
Marble has been carved for almost 4000 years.
I really enjoyed this video. You are a fantastic artist.
Wow.. thats just incredible
Nothing quite like a pair of skilled human hands.
I had a lot of joy watching this.
It's refreshing to hear a true artist explain things in simple coherent terms versus the so called conceptual artists that spew out a bunch of nonsense trying to explain away an uninspiring useless object.
Simply amazing beautiful work. Wonderful craftsmanship
In a world dominated by digital media and increasingly by AI -- I love seeing somebody creating something by hand, and doing it well. Nothing in the world beats hand-made artistry.
I have always wondered about the sculpting process. Thank you and the sculptor for sharing.
Beyond fascinating!
Beautiful work
Wow this guy is amazing, and very smart when it comes to his craft.
Nice share and best like
Amazing. Thank you for sharing. Would love to see more of Simon
Great work
Unrelated, but I love your workshirt!
Incredible
Beautiful sculpture
Marvellous talent.
Enjoyed this. I have been a stonemason for 17 years, wish someone had clarified the nuances between banker and sculpture before I started my apprenticeship. It’s a shame that masons are paid so poorly compared to other trades, never understood why.
hello, I'm curious when you say the difference what do you mean? I had as well considered these very similar more or less being that a banker is just a sculpturer in a more construction-applied form. Currently looking for an apprenticeship in stone masonry, so this is actually very relevant to me. Are you taking apprentices if so respond with your email :) thanks.
Insufficient demand?
he is human hero this is revelations beautiful sacrifice his life for stone marble cutting i couldn't do this work unbelievable
Stunning!
Beautifully done
beautiful art form
This is absolutely fascinating! Thank you for sharing your process. I’d love to see more!
Very nice work
I could be watching him and this channel for long hours, it is so informative, interesting and ASMR 🌼🌸 Once again, thanks for your channel 🌸🌸🌼🌼🌺🌺🏵🏵
Such a wonderful satisfying process to watch.
“Carving is all about trapping shadows! “What a brilliant way to express that!
Tungsten is a metal. Tungsten carbide is a ceramic with metal in it.
thanks - i was wondering. i wonder who the heck thought of that for sculpting? 🌹
Beautiful.
I love artists sooo much!
Absolutely beautiful, thank you for talking about your work as you make this gorgeous piece. That is awesome. I loved listening to how you do this. ❤
What an amazing talent to have!
I had no idea you could *bruise* marble. Thanks for the very interesting and entertaining video.
Wish the video was longer very informative!
Thank you so much! It was so interesting to get to know how marble sculptures are created. ❤❤❤
my goodness... so amazing...
In many cases for me, listening to an artist describe his or her method of creation can be somewhat distracting from the art itself. However, this reproduction project by Simon was just the opposite, giving light to the multiple layers of craftsmanship in working with marble while honoring the vision for the final rendering. I will never look at another marble sculpture again without remembering this video. Thank you for sharing!