Artist wants your old pots and pans (From Swindon Advertiser)

Artist wants your old pots and pans

9:30am Tuesday 16th October 2012 in News

AN artist is looking for people to donate their old pots and pans to help him create a town centre masterpiece.

Toby Robson, of Old Town, has been commissioned by Forward Swindon and Swindon Council to create seven aluminium plaques to go in Theatre Square near the Wyvern Theatre.

The 42-year-old is appealing to Adver readers to donate their old aluminium kitchenware so he can melt it down to become part of the creation.

“A lot of my artwork is created out of recycled materials. I am appealing for any old aluminium pots and pans or old fashioned coffee perculators,” said the stonemason.

“People who walk past are going to be able to walk past and say ‘my aluminium pan has gone into that’.”

The aluminium slabs will be the same size as the existing paving slabs and will be about 1cm thick.

Toby will create a sand mould by hand and then pour the molten metal in to create the design.

“I have sold a few bits and pieces before but this is the first proper public commission job I have had. I want to start work as soon as I can. I have built a new furnace because the one I had wasn’t big enough for the amount of metal I am going to be using,” he said.

The items donated must be made of aluminium.

“If a magnet won’t stick to it and it is white and shiny metal it is likely to be aluminium,” he said.

“Aluminium pots and pans have gone out of fashion as a thing to cook in so people have them hanging around.”

Work is expected to start at the site, which is in the pavement walkway between the Wyvern and Artsite, in the next few months.

Designs in the project, which is being managed by Artsite, will include a leaf design, which will be slightly raised.

Toby thinks he will need about 100 pots and pans to reach his target.

“I have got some aluminium of my own but it will take dozens of pans,” he said.

Last year, Toby travelled to the Sculpture Trails outdoor museum in Indiana, USA, to create a piece of sculpture there.

He previously spent 16 years in an office and says he found it stressful and uninspiring, so now he is living his dream.

He has his own small foundry near Devizes.

To donate email blackandwhitecasting@gmail.com.