Artist gives Birmingham a metallic makeover

Bespoke sculptures created for exhibition at Castle Fine Art in The Mailbox.

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A new exhibition of original wall sculptures from French artist Frédéric Daty launches at Castle Fine Art in The Mailbox on Saturday 2nd April, with the artist in attendance from 1-4pm.

In his second ever UK solo show, Trinity sees world-famous cities and iconic UK landmarks depicted in metal. Daty’s innovative sculptures strip these overrun spaces of living organisms, revealing only the structure; the city’s skeleton.

For the exhibition in Birmingham, Daty has created four bespoke wall sculptures inspired by the UK’s second city – The Mailbox, the Bullring Bull, The Cube, the Library of Birmingham, The Rotunda and the spaghetti junction all feature in the new pieces.

The artist – who was talent spotted by Birmingham based art publishers Washington Green in 2014 – uses layers of hand-cut steel sheets to create the sculptures, which are then polished with varnish and coloured tar. The individual elements stand away from the wall at varying angles and distances, creating a 3D wall sculpture.

The shadows cast on the wall behind create another dimension to Daty’s work. Although the metal itself is static, the surface and colour of the sculptures change in response to how they are lit, giving the impression that the work itself is also moving and evolving.

Frédéric Daty explains the inspiration behind his new exhibition: “My new exhibition is an exploration of the urban landscapes in which we inhabit, stripped right down to their core. Trinity refers to the fact there are always three elements to my work: the metal symbolizing mother earth and our foundations, the stylized figurative shapes which represent the spiritual realm, and the light and shadows which evoke movement and change.”

Beth McCarthy, Gallery Director of The Mailbox’s Castle Fine Art – Washington Green’s nationwide network of high street galleries – said: “Frédéric is a hugely exciting artist who first came to our attention in 2014. His work stood out as something both original and exciting, which we felt would really add to our already diverse portfolio of artists. Using unconventional materials and processes not traditionally associated with art production, Frédéric created extremely beautiful, dynamic wall sculpture which have to be seen in person, to truly be appreciated.”

Trinity launches at Castle Fine Art, The Mailbox, Ground Floor, 5 Wharfside, Birmingham, B1 1RD on Saturday 2nd April. The exhibition will then run for a further week. Prices for his original sculptures range from £2,950 – £5,500.

For further information see www.castlefineart.com.