DEREK BAYLEY
I BEGAN MY JOURNEY WITH DEREK BAYLEY LTD IN 2021 AS A FREELANCE TECHNICIAN AND, SINCE 2022, HAVE SERVED AS ASSISTANT STUDIO MANAGER, OVERSEEING STUDIO OPERATIONS AND SUPPORTING THE COMPANY DIRECTOR DIRECTLY. DEREK BAYLEY LTD IS A PATINATION AND METAL FINISHING STUDIO BASED IN DEPTFORD, SOUTH-EAST LONDON, SPECIALISING IN BESPOKE FINISHES FOR FINE ART, INTERIOR DESIGN, AND LARGE-SCALE SCULPTURES ACROSS FERROUS AND NON-FERROUS METALS.
DURING MY TIME AT THE STUDIO, WE COMPLETED A WIDE RANGE OF INCREDIBLE PROJECTS, FROM JEWELLERY ITEMS FROM ALICEMADETHIS TO COMPLEX LARGE-SCALE INSTALLATIONS. THIS INCLUDED RESTORATION WORK FOR THOMAS J. PRICE AT THE V&A, A SALVADOR DALÍ EDITION FOR HALCYON GALLERY, AND ONGOING EDITIONS FOR ANNIE MORRIS, MICHAEL ANASTASSIADES, STUDIO TOOGOOD, GALLERY FUMI, CHARLES BURNAND GALLERY, AND DAVID GILL GALLERY, OFTEN WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH FOUNDRIES SUCH AS PANGOLIN AND SOUTH LONDON FOUNDRY. I WAS ALSO PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR REBUILDING AND UPDATING THE WEBSITE AND MONITORING INVENTORY.
OUR WORK SPANNED EVERY STAGE OF THE PROCESS, FROM CONSULTING CLIENTS ON DESIGN AND ASSEMBLY, TO HANDLING AND STORING ARTWORKS OF VARYING SCALES AND FRAGILITY, TO ASSISTING WITH FINISHING, FINAL ASSEMBLY, PATINATION AND METAL RESTORATION. I GAINED HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WITH BRONZE SCULPTURES, OFTEN ARRIVING IN MULTIPLE SECTIONS FROM THE FOUNDRY WHERE IIT WAS CAST. (WE WERE NOT INVOLVED IN THE CASTING PROCESS.) THAT WERE THEN CAREFULLY WELDED TOGETHER BY OUR MASTER CHASER, ENSURING SEAMLESS JOINS. OBSERVING AND ASSISTING IN THIS METICULOUS WORK HIGHLIGHTED THE PRECISION, SKILL, AND YEARS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE FLAWLESS RESULTS.
WORKS COMPLETED FOR MIKE SPELLER
PATINATION
A CORE PART OF MY ROLE INVOLVED THE PATINATION PROCESS, CREATING PROTECTIVE AND COLOURED SURFACE LAYERS ON METAL USING CHEMICAL REACTIONS, HEAT, AND APPLICATION TECHNIQUES SUCH AS BRUSHING, SPRAYING, OR IMMERSION. THE PROCESS TRANSFORMS METALS INTO SHADES AND HUES OF VARYING FINISHES AND TEXTURES, WITH EACH FINISH INFLUENCED BY THE MATERIALS, CHEMICALS, AND SEALING TECHNIQUES USED.
PATINATED TRUCKS FOR MY COLLABORATION WITH G3N3GRAPHY.
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MY TIME AT DEREK BAYLEY ALLOWED ME TO DEVELOP EXPERTISE ACROSS A FULL SPECTRUM OF METALWORK AND FINISHING TECHNIQUES, DEEPENING MY UNDERSTANDING OF BOTH THE TECHNICAL AND ARTISTIC SIDES OF SCULPTURE, AND PROVIDING INVALUABLE EXPERIENCE WORKING CLOSELY WITH ARTISTS, GALLERIES, AND FOUNDRIES ON HIGH-PROFILE PROJECTS. AS A HANDS ON PERSON, I REALLY RELISHED THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH IMPORTANT PRACTICAL WORK WITH A LEVEL OF CREATIVE CONTROL, WHILST LEARNING THE FUNDAMENTALS OF RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS AND THE WIDER WORKINGS OF THE FINE ART INDUSTRY FROM A PIONEERING INDIVIDUAL EXCELLING IN HIS FIELD!
