Marcus Cornish
Encyclopedia
Marcus Cornish is a contemporary British sculptor. After obtaining a First Class Honours degree in Sculpture at Camberwell School of Art, he went on to gain a Master of Arts degree at the Royal College of Art
. A scholarship enabled him to spend time in India
, studying the work of traditional Aiyanar potter priests, and his Master's thesis was about their work crafting terracotta horses for Aiyanar shrines in Tamil Nadu
. In 1993 he was elected a Member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors
.
He spent time as official tour artist with the British Army
in Kosovo
, and again as official tour artist on a diplomatic tour of Eastern Europe by HRH The Prince of Wales. He is an Academic Board member, and occasional tutor, of The Prince's Drawing School - a charitable trust founded by HRH The Prince of Wales that provides a wide range of courses focused on drawing and painting skills.
In 2000, he created a life-size bronze sculpture of the fictional Paddington Bear
, that stands in Paddington Station in London
.
He was commissioned by a property developer to create five bronze statues of Scottish wild animals. One of them, a greater-than-life-size statue of a red deer stag, was placed in St. James's Square
, London
, in 2002.
In 2004, he was involved in a collaborative project to create a memorial to recipients of the Victoria Cross
and George Cross
medals, which was installed in the Pillared Hall in the Ministry of Defence
Main Building in Whitehall
, London
, and dedicated on 2 November 2004. The memorial consists of a stained glass window, designed and created by Rachel Foster and the Eastwood Senior Citizens Art Project Enterprise (ESCAPE), and a 16 foot high bronze column from which emerges, at the top, a powerful figure, 'Courage', designed and created by Marcus Cornish.
In 2005, he was Sculptor-in-Residence at the Museum of London
, and subsequently exhibited the clay and plaster sculptures he created during that time and based on his observations and experience there, under the title "Impressions from a London Seam".
In 2008, he was commissioned to create a sculpture of St John the Evangelist for the parish church of that name in Heron's Ghyll in Sussex
. The statue was dedicated on 11 January 2009 by Bishop Kieran Conry
.
In 2008-2009, he was commissioned to create a bronze statue of Jesus Christ to mark the 50th anniversary of the Our Lady Immaculate and St Philip Neri Catholic
Church in Uckfield
, East Sussex
. The statue, which was installed on the front of the church in May 2009, depicts a very contemporary figure, wearing a shirt and loose trousers. It was immediately dubbed "Jesus in Jeans" by the media, and was widely reported and commented on.
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
. A scholarship enabled him to spend time in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, studying the work of traditional Aiyanar potter priests, and his Master's thesis was about their work crafting terracotta horses for Aiyanar shrines in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. In 1993 he was elected a Member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors
Royal British Society of Sculptors
The Royal British Society of Sculptors is a registered charity whose aims are to promote and support sculpture. It has a worldwide membership....
.
He spent time as official tour artist with the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, and again as official tour artist on a diplomatic tour of Eastern Europe by HRH The Prince of Wales. He is an Academic Board member, and occasional tutor, of The Prince's Drawing School - a charitable trust founded by HRH The Prince of Wales that provides a wide range of courses focused on drawing and painting skills.
Works
In 2000, he created a life-size bronze sculpture of the fictional Paddington Bear
Paddington Bear
Paddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. He appeared on 13 October 1958 and was subsequently featured in several books, most recently in 2008, written by Michael Bond and first illustrated by Peggy Fortnum....
, that stands in Paddington Station in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
He was commissioned by a property developer to create five bronze statues of Scottish wild animals. One of them, a greater-than-life-size statue of a red deer stag, was placed in St. James's Square
St. James's Square
St. James's Square is the only square in the exclusive St James's district of the City of Westminster. It has predominantly Georgian and neo-Georgian architecture and a private garden in the centre...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in 2002.
In 2004, he was involved in a collaborative project to create a memorial to recipients of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
and George Cross
George Cross
The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
medals, which was installed in the Pillared Hall in the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
Main Building in Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and dedicated on 2 November 2004. The memorial consists of a stained glass window, designed and created by Rachel Foster and the Eastwood Senior Citizens Art Project Enterprise (ESCAPE), and a 16 foot high bronze column from which emerges, at the top, a powerful figure, 'Courage', designed and created by Marcus Cornish.
In 2005, he was Sculptor-in-Residence at the Museum of London
Museum of London
The Museum of London documents the history of London from the Prehistoric to the present day. The museum is located close to the Barbican Centre, as part of the striking Barbican complex of buildings created in the 1960s and 70s as an innovative approach to re-development within a bomb damaged...
, and subsequently exhibited the clay and plaster sculptures he created during that time and based on his observations and experience there, under the title "Impressions from a London Seam".
In 2008, he was commissioned to create a sculpture of St John the Evangelist for the parish church of that name in Heron's Ghyll in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. The statue was dedicated on 11 January 2009 by Bishop Kieran Conry
Kieran Conry
Kieran Thomas Conry is the Roman Catholic Bishop of Arundel and Brighton.-Early life and ordination:...
.
In 2008-2009, he was commissioned to create a bronze statue of Jesus Christ to mark the 50th anniversary of the Our Lady Immaculate and St Philip Neri Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Church in Uckfield
Uckfield
-Development:The local Tesco has proposed the redevelopment of the central town area as has the town council. The Hub has recently been completed, having been acquired for an unknown figure, presumed to be about half a million pounds...
, East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
. The statue, which was installed on the front of the church in May 2009, depicts a very contemporary figure, wearing a shirt and loose trousers. It was immediately dubbed "Jesus in Jeans" by the media, and was widely reported and commented on.