Deep in the heart of the Cotswolds, in an old stonemason yard, Kim Francis works on her latest sculpture. Guided by the stone she creates elegant forms from natural materials, exploring her own deeply visceral and emotional relationship with the world.
Kim’s process as a contemporary sculptor is physically demanding. From the initial carving of the stone through to the sanding and polishing of her ‘clam’ as she affectionately calls it, the passion for her practice is evident. This particular piece was intended for the ‘On Form’ sculpture exhibition in the UK which was unfortunately postponed in 2020.
Kim’s work as an artist goes beyond sculpting; she began training when she was young as a jeweller in London. After she graduated she quickly found a passion for tattoos as well as sculpture, two extremely contrasting practices using very different techniques, materials and scale. The intricate patterns she creates involve intimate twists and turns, effectively adorning her subject in natural imagery. The combination of her passion for body art, jewellery and sculpture has driven Kim to be the curious, powerful artist she is today. This short series documents a fraction of her beautiful practice that every day continues to evolve. I look forward to working with her again in the future.
In conversation we’ve talked a little about the natural world, does it have much influence on your work, or inspire any elements of your practice?
Yes, I think the natural world is a constant even unconscious influence on my work. I’m always drinking in inspiration from the natural world. In the sense that when I’m making it, it’s not even conscious that it is my inspiration. It has been so assimilated into my vocabulary and it automatically informs the shapes I make.
Can you tell me about your physical process as a sculpture artist?
I usually plan a sculpture in 3d as a small maquette or model, in clay. That allows me to get to know the form in 3 dimensions and allows me to have a visual reference when I start the carving in stone. It is a very labour heavy process so having a plan of action to allow as much economy of time and energy as possible. I like to use fairly hard stone, kilkenny limestone and marble.
As well as sculpture you also create beautiful tattoos, can you tell me about your style and practice?
I tattoo by hand, without a machine. I like to have a more direct experience of skin, without the interface of the machine. I think I am very driven by the materials I use, and in tattooing, skin is the material. Where possible I like to have an intimate contact with the material, and with the person. Tattooing is so much about the person and their story.
I like to treat my tattoo designs as adornments to the form of the body. In that sense I am treating the body as a sculptural form to be enhanced or embellished by the lines I make.
Is your artwork still evolving, or do you feel your practice has began to settle?
I think my art work is always evolving in some way, sometimes subtly and slowly and sometimes I will branch out to try to push my own boundaries. I am always looking for a certain balance and elegance in my work but there will always be new ways to try to achieve that.
