Sardine Sculpture

Slate is a sui generis shale and requires a particular approach to work. These shapes were born from an internship in a slate extraction and transformation factory in Valongo in the 1980s, which resulted in several pieces and a solo exhibition Fogo e Chamas at the Novo Século Gallery in Lisbon. In the course of this new experience, I came across huge piles of rubble resulting from the rigging of blocks of no commercial interest and with formidable, surprising shapes and some suggesting animals and plants. For sheer pleasure I modeled a fish and offered it to the owner of the extractor company. This minimalist, quirky and decorative form was a hit with friends and decorators and I am still asked to do so today.