 |
|
 |
Morris Singer Foundry bought by artist Nasser AzamA former Merrill Lynch banker is relaunching the foundry that cast the Trafalgar Square lions and the statue of Boudicca at Westminster Bridge. Nasser Azam has bought the assets of the Morris Singer Foundry, based in Braintree, Essex, with plans to revive the tradition of monumental sculpture. Once a thriving enterprise, casting famous bronze landmarks such as the doors of the Bank of England and Henry Moore's recumbent figures, the business has fallen on hard times. It went into administration last month after a decade of financial troubles. In 2005, the company went into receivership over a large bill unpaid by Saddam Hussein for a bronze statue of a flag. Morris Singer also cast the famous crossed swords monument in Baghdad. Mr Azam, 47, who has fashioned a new career as a performance
artist, said that the new business — Zahra Modern Art Foundries
— would play a central role in contemporary monumental
sculpture. He hopes to take on most of the dozen foundry workers,
protect their skills and develop a wider business in casting
bronze statues. The Middle East, where there is strong demand
for monumental statuary, is a target market. The Braintree foundry cast one of Mr Azam's works - The Dance - a large bronze sculpture exhibited in 2008 outside County Hall in Central London. "When I heard about the insolvency, I decided to step in to save the knowledge and the heritage. Not many people were interested," he said, declining to disclose the deal price. Mr Azam's interest in monumental bronze is unusual — the fashion for such works fell into decline after a high point in the 1960s, when Morris Singer was producing works by Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore. However, the Pakistani-born artist and financier has an idiosyncratic approach to art. Unlike most artists, he developed his talents painting at night, a necessary constraint during his 11-year stint as chief operating officer at Merrill Lynch. He recently experimented with more extreme conditions, producing tableaux in Antarctica and in zero gravity. In 2008, while aboard a Russian high-altitude aircraft, he painted two works: Homage to Francis Bacon: Triptych I and Triptych II. "I wanted to see what kind of creativity could emerge," he said. |
Lions of Trafalgar Square foundry saved for the nation
|
|
|