Cavatina; originally a short simple song, ‘without a second strain or any repetition of the air’.

 

  Cavatina is the title of the first sculpture created by Anthony Bennett and Brian Alcock (Sheffield’s last jobbing grinder) for the Swarfhorse exposition. It is a torso, cast in concrete and covered in Swarf (the ultrafine grindings produced whilst grinding steel blades etc on a grindstone).

  It’s inspiration was to see if Anthony could employ his skills as a sculptor, to create an artwork, which might be used to illustrate the plight of the grinding industry in Sheffield.

  Displaying Cavatina at Globe Works is significant because it is here that Brian learned his industry, as a boy, working for George Barnsley’s. If you look at the floor, near your feet, you will see that the driveway is made from used grindstones. Further evidence of grinding can be seen along the back lane on the outer (NW) side of the site, about 12ft up, on a now derelict building about  two thirds of the way down the lane on the right, where you can see the ‘swarf oyl’ – a hole in the wall through which the swarf was shovelled, to be taken away to be recycled.

 

  The sculpture is composed of swarf deposited on a concrete cast of a torso, originally modelled in clay. Anthony took a plaster mould from the clay sculpt, then used concrete to make a cast. The cast was positioned in front of the grindstone, and as Brian worked, the swarf built up on the surface of the torso. After about 4 weeks, the distinctive texture of the swarf deposit made it look like some ancient relic, like something you would see in the British Museum – amazing!  What could we do next....?