"...The Arts and Crafts Movement, whose influence is felt to this day, was formed as a direct reaction to the seemingly soulless products being mass produced in England’s ‘dark satanic mills’, otherwise known as the Industrial Revolution.

From the first day we talked about Fragile World we talked about it in this way.it was exciting. We want to make something that we want to make. We don’t want to make very many of them, that is soul destroying.

We want to make something that means something to us, something that we can take pride in. A common thread emerged among the artists and artisans that make up Martin Perry Studios; a deep love of animals and an anxiety about their place in a world that is being increasingly wounded by the accelerating march of human progress. A so called progress.

And so Fragile World was born. To us it is a breath of fresh air. We have a small group of highly skilled individuals who are utterly committed to this project. The pieces themselves are very different to anything we have produced before. Because each edition will be very limited in number we can psychologically design things that are difficult to make. The ‘cold enamel’ glaze adds strength as well as beauty which allows us to carve pieces that otherwise could not be so fragile. The size of the pieces fits into that abstract category where small becomes ‘exquisite’ and the sheer scarcity of numbers automatically makes the pieces rare and hopefully precious.

To me, this is what a so-called collectable should be. No frills, no games, no manipulation; just straightforward small editions that have been made by people who think and care. Pieces that are beautiful and meaningful. Carvings that produce an emotional response and will be treasured for that reason.

As we tear headlong into an uncertain future the world seems fragile indeed, and how much more so for the animals.”

Wimberley Mills

Production

Moulding
Because the original sculpture (a clay/plasticene mixture) rarely stays intact a master copy is used to make silicon rubber production moulds.

Casting
A mixture of marble powder and resin is poured into the silicon moulds. The mixture is passed through two vacuum chambers, once before pouring and again when the mixture is in the mould. This removes gas and air bubbles trapped in the mixture and pulls out any air pockets caught in the mould during pouring. The mixture is exposed to high temperatures and sets after two hours.

Fettling
Any excess resin is removed to create a smooth finish.

Painting
Each piece is handpainted in colours that are mixed in-house. They are then cold enamelled to glaze.