Stuart Sandford

Coming soon…

Sebastian is a unique 8 foot (243 cm) stainless steel statue created using state of the art 3D scanning and printing technology, marrying together the ancient and the contemporary in process and concept. Taking its main inspirations from the Greco-Roman depictions of the boy/god Antinous, the Christian saint and martyr Saint Sebastian, and the myth of Narcissus, all coupled with the current obsession with the "selfie”, this major work is both an exploration of contemporary representations of the masculine form and a comment on the icon and its place in contemporary culture.

The work also exists in numerous further incarnations (including an augmented reality version via SnapChat) echoing the obsession of Emperor Hadrian (Antinous' lover) who, upon the death of the boy, commissioned more sculptures and likenesses of him than any other figure in classical times and deified him into a god.

Polaroid works taken in and around Los Angeles throughout 2017. 10.7 x 8.8 cm each, signed and dated on verso, unique. A limited edition artist book was published of these works on November 1st 2017.

The Sluggard (After Leighton)
2014
Painted aluminium
50 x 27 x 17 cm
Unique +2APs

A commission from a gallerist in New York to make a 50 x 27 x 17 cm aluminium statue using the same process as Sebastian. The inspiration came from a life-size bronze statue from 1885 entitled The Sluggard by Frederic Leighton of the "perfect" male body.

Working with an art fabricator based here in Los Angeles who produce work for artists including Jeff Koons and Charles Ray and as with Sebastian, the model (Brad) was 3D scanned to create a 3D printable blank for casting. I chose aluminium over bronze in this instance as I wanted to work with a more contemporary material.

After casting the aluminium was painted to give it the look and feel of marble and a miniature version of the "Brad" necklace the model was wearing during the scanning (made from polished steel) was added to give it a contemporary presence and is definitely my favourite part of the piece.

A suite of forty-two unique Polaroids taken whilst artist-in-residence at Tom of Finland Foundation in Echo Park, Los Angeles in 2014. 10.7 x 8.8 cm each, signed and dated on verso.

Cumfaces
12 colour photographs
Dimensions variable

A series of 12 selfies each submitted by the model via an open call taken on the brink of orgasm.

A suite of 35mm colour photographs dating from 2004-2007, dimensions variable.

An ongoing photographic and film project documenting urban and rural public spaces where men have sex with me.