by Ashley Hipkin
 
Ballast
“The Object, ‘stuff’ (materials) and the meaning we as people attach to them are at the core of my practice as a sculptor. Things are found, scavenged, salvaged and stored in my studio. Sometimes obsolete, often broken, these fragments become the basis of a three dimensional enquiry. I use traditional methods such as casting, modeling, carving, turning, welding, and painting to re-invent and re-present them back into the world as sculpture. It is in itself a process of healing. "If asked, I would tell you that ballast, the heavy stuff put in a ship's hold to improve stability, is exactly what most people lack. Our journeys are storm-tossed and we cannot prevent ourselves drifting off course. And yet we all have a place of origin and a sense of direction. It is just that sometimes, when things get tough or when we are ill, we cannot maintain balance or head for a nearby port." Ballast is a body of sculptures by Ashley Hipkin created in response to the question of healing when he was doing his residency at this hospital between December 2006 and February 2008.
Photo by Ikuko Tsuchiya