Matthew Simmonds

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Miniature Architectural Spaces Nestle into Carved Chunks of Raw Marble

“Tetraconch II” (2019), Faxe limestone, 38 centimeters. All images © Matthew Simmonds, shared with permission Since antiquity, marble has been a preferred material for sculptors and architects alike because of its relative softness and the unlikelihood that it’ll shatter. British artist Matthew Simmonds (previously) fuses these two traditional forms and honors their history with his miniature models carved into hunks of the raw stone. Evoking ancient ruins and sacred architecture—most pieces aren’t modeled after specific structures—the chiseled sculptures are complete with grand archways, ornately tiled ceilings, and minuscule statues on display in their halls. Within the spaces, Simmonds contrasts the…

Art

Miniature Architectural Interiors and Collections of Tiny Symbolic Objects Carved into White Stone

Elevation VI Rooke Chapel Copenhagen-based artist Matthew Simmonds (previously) carves miniature architectural interiors, angular shapes, and tiny windows filled with symbolic objects, trinkets, and animals. His ghostly white sculptural forms are cut from and presented within raw stone, which allows for a striking contrast between his designs and the medium’s natural surface. Although Simmonds mainly focuses on sacred architecture, particularly from the Medieval era, he is drawn to how cultures overlap and influence each other. His work often references a variety of architectural styles in one piece, and sometimes presents abstract forms. “I get inspired by real architectural spaces, but…

Art

New Miniature Architectural Structures Carved Into Raw Stone by Matthew Simmonds

…and influence each other,” said Simmonds in an interview with Colossal. “Stone is the thing that survives the most from older times, and has an inherent sense of strength and permanence that has given it a central role in historical architecture. It is also a natural material, and in this way it inherently has a connection with the Earth’s past.” Simmonds work Ringrone was commissioned for a client who owns a castle in Ireland that lays in ruin. Simmonds’ sculpture depicts what he believes to be the castle’s original appearance as a “tower house” from the 15th century in which…

Art

Miniature Medieval Interiors Carved into Raw Marble Blocks by Mathew Simmonds

Favored for its translucency and durability, marble has been the material of choice for sculptors beginning with the early Greek masters. And their chisels have been used, most typically, to carve an idealized human body but also to create massive pillars and architectural forms like the Supreme Court Building or the Washington Monument. So these mini-architectural interiors come as something we’ve never quite seen before. The intricately carved creations are the work of British sculptor Matthew Simmonds, an art-historian-turned-stone-carver. Inspired by his academic background and, later, his work in helping to restore important historic monuments (in particular, Westminster Abbey and…