Geoffrey Clarke - Extraction and Refining of Oil

EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL Photographs of a sculpture by

Geoffrey Clarke Leighton Carr

First published in 2013 by The Clifton Publishing Company Limited 3Z PO BOX 3000 BRISTOL BS3 9BD

e: thestudio@3zonline.co.uk www.cliftonpublishing.com

Š

Leighton Carr

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise circulated, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher.

ISBN 978-1-903621-03-5 (PDF VERSION) ISBN 978-1-903621-04-2 (PRINT VERSION)

THE CLIFTON PUBLISHING COMPANY

CONTENTS

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

Introduction

page 2

High Resolution Photographs

page 3

Half Size / Full Size

page 4

Individual Pieces

page 5

The Chemist’s Table 1

page 6

The Chemist’s Table 2

page 7

Chemical Additive Manufacture 1

page 8

Chemical Additive Manufacture 2

page 9

Blending of Lubricant Oils 1

page 10

Blending of Lubricant Oils 2

page 11

Blending of Lubricant Oils 1

page 12

A Symbolic Machine Using Lubricants 1

page 13

A Symbolic Machine Using Lubricants 2

page 14

A Symbolic Machine Using Lubricants 3

page 15

A Representation of Speed 1

page 16

A Representation of Speed 2

page 17

A Representation of Speed 3

page 18

Photographs of Individual Pieces

page 19

Close-up Examples of Individual Pieces

page 20

INTRODUCTION Geoffrey Clarke’s work ‘Extraction and Refining of Oil’ has been hidden for fifteen years. The piece was commissioned by Castrol Oil for its new headquarters in Westminster, and installed as the backdrop of the foyer to Castrol House in 1959. The work remained in place until 1998 when the building was refurbished. Each piece of the sculpture was then carefully removed to secure storage where the work has remained. A new project is under way to bring the work into the open once more.

There are practical problems with the project. The piece is enormous. It is 40 feet long and 25 feet high, making it 1,000 square feet of cast aluminium.

Apart from its size the work comprises over 130 individual pieces, each of which requires a mechanical fixing to a subframe - which no longer exists.

The solution is suggested by the work itself. ‘Extraction and Refining of Oil’ tells the story of how lubricant oils are manufactured and used through five separate tableaus, each of which has its own interesting detail. Showing these five scenes separately would allow the piece to be managed more easily.

Although this starts to solve the problem of scale there are still significant logistical problems to solve. For example, the section called ‘A Symbolic Machine Using Lubricants’ is 25 feet tall and uses over fifty individual panels.However, within each of the five scenes there are smaller areas of interest, individual panels or collections of two, three or four panels which combine to make a dynamic display of great visual impact on a smaller scale.

So the project starts to look like this. Following the story line of the piece, and the natural texture of the material, and the discrete method of the artist’s fabrication, a linear exhibition can be staged using a combination of individual panels or groups of panels mounted as stand-alone works of art; one or two complete tableaus mounted to show the scale of the piece; photographs of other whole sections printed full size or shown on digital displays; and high resolution full size photographs of pieces, also offered as collectable limited edition litho or giclee prints.

Some of the possibilities are shown in this catalogue.

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

Top: a composite photograph of the whole work.

Middle: one of six exhibition design panels showing a combination of prints, whole scenes and individual pieces.

Bottom: litho or giclee prints of one or more panels

2

HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPHS

Š LEIGHTON CARR

The original sculpture is highly textured and this quality can be captured by taking long exposure, high resolution photographs of well lit panels. To the left is a photograph of the original work showing the texture and detail possible, and below, a mock up of a new full size print of the same section.

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

3

FULL SIZE / HALF SIZE

© LEIGHTON CARR

© LEIGHTON CARR

The size and complexity of the work allows over thirty individual photographs of individual panels or groups of panels. Depending on the size and complexity of the area being photographed the printed photographs might be available full size or half size.

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

4

INDIVIDUAL PIECES

Š LEIGHTON CARR

Individual panels in the work have great impact because of their texture or modelling, or because the are stand-alone representational pieces of some part of the story. Good quality limited edition prints taken from photographs of these individual panels offer a visually dramatic and accessible way of enjoying the work.

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

5

THE CHEMIST’S TABLE 1

© LEIGHTON CARR

From the first scene in the work, The Chemist’s Table, pieces have been selected based on their interest, quality and coherence as stand alone pieces, then photographed, then printed. These images are shown full size.

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

6

THE CHEMIST’S TABLE 2

© LEIGHTON CARR

Again from the first scene. These photographs are shown half size and quarter size.

This pattern of photographing selected pieces then reproducing them in full size, half and quarter size is replicated for each of the subsequent scenes in the piece

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

7

© LEIGHTON CARR

CHEMICAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURE 1

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

8

© LEIGHTON CARR

CHEMICAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURE 2

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

9

© LEIGHTON CARR

© LEIGHTON CARR

BLENDING OF LUBRICANT OILS 1

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

10

© LEIGHTON CARR

BLENDING OF LUBRICANT OILS 2

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

11

© LEIGHTON CARR

A SYMBOLIC MACHINE USING LUBRICANTS 1

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

12

© LEIGHTON CARR

A SYMBOLIC MACHINE USING LUBRICANTS 2

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

13

© LEIGHTON CARR

A SYMBOLIC MACHINE USING LUBRICANTS 3

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

14

© LEIGHTON CARR

A SYMBOLIC MACHINE USING LUBRICANTS 4

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

15

© LEIGHTON CARR

THE RESULTANT SPEED 2

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

16

THE RESULTANT SPEED 1

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

17

© LEIGHTON CARR

THE RESULTANT SPEED 2

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

18

© LEIGHTON CARR

PHOTOGRAPHS OF INDIVIDUAL PIECES

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

19

CLOSE UP EXAMPLES OF INDIVIDUAL PIECES

PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE FOR EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL l LEIGHTON CARR

20

EXTRACTION AND REFINING OF OIL Photographs of a sculpture by

Geoffrey Clarke Leighton Carr