Katie Ventress Artist Blacksmith

The bench was made to mark Boulby Mines 50th anniversary as a working mine. The sculpture was created for future generations to enjoy, and that local miners can take their families to see a glimpse of their day underground.

The piece was designed in three sections so that it could be galvanized and bolted together to take its final shape. The sculpture was treated with a mild T-wash acid, to dull and darken the finish, and then polished in certain areas to create striking contrasts on the miner’s clothing, equipment and the other 3D, forged and fabricated items on the “communications board”, such as the emergency phone, Tanoy and light.

The final location for the sculpture will be on the North Yorkshire coast. It was therefore important to ensure that a durable finish was achieved for the sculpture. It is anticipated that over the years, the galvanized coating will weather and change and eventually settle and become part of the landscape. In this way, the sculpture will hopefully remain so for many years to come.

Photographs © Rick Hiley, Katie Ventress