Hestia Candelabra
By Jim Pilston
Original artwork
Papier-mache and mixed media, paint, metal - all sustainably-sourced/upcycled
Height: 77cm
Hestia is the ancient Greek goddess of the hearth and home who generates serenity in others.
So Jim recreates her as a light-bearing goddess, carrying the flame of the home fire and lighting our way.
She is on a sturdy stand and would make an eye-catching centrepiece on a living room or dining room sideboard or table.
As ever, Jim calls on a richly-woven array of story and history to conjure up his concepts and sculptures, carefully re-inventing the folk-art figures to appeal to a 21st-century audience.
ABOUT JIM PILSTON
After studying Theatre Design and Illustration, Jim worked as an illustrator for many years. Over time, his illustrative work began to emerge as three-dimensional pieces. Using papier-mache and mixed media, he explored folklore and legend – both local and European.
Ths style has now developed into a quirky and distinctive sculptural style, based on narrative and clever characterisation.
The work he creates is very instinctive: "When starting, I have a vague sense of an intended outcome but I begin working on a piece and just see who emerges. An angel, a devil, god or monster."The sources he draws on vary greatly but the stories, pictures, films and children’s television of his 1970s Cotswolds childhood are never far away.
The materials he uses are, almost entirely, sourced within a mile or two of hs Stroud home. They are found materials that are repurposed and recycled. The paper is from the used paper recycling process, the structures are made from scrap wood and plastics, such as discarded estate agents signs and, in the main, the paints and varnishes are the incorrect mixes and “mis-tints” from paint manufacturers and DIY stores.
"As an artisan, I get a thrill out of creating something magical, and perhaps sacred, out of materials that can be found in skips and bins up and down the country."
Jim's work is exhibited regionally and is in numerous private collections.