Ray’s Sheds is the second publication by Raft. The book is a photographic study of the seven sheds in which sculptor Ray Exworth (1930-2015) worked in the west of Cornwall. Few have seen, or will ever see, the sheds in person. This new book is both a valuable archival document of the artist’s output, and as my tribute to the wonders of his friend’s lifetime of creative toil and endeavour.
Once described as a ‘sculptor of probable genius’ by Bruce Bernard, Exworth’s work was never widely exhibited. The seven sheds in the west of Cornwall house his most significant endeavours—complex works combining plaster figures with found and crafted objects to create floor to ceiling tableaux. Upon entering any of the sheds, visitors encounter the inscrutable cathedral of Exworth’s mind.
The genesis on the book was on a sunny September morning in 1983, when I received a phone call asking me to photograph Exworth’s studio. I travelled to meet Ray and amazed by his work, exposed a few sheets of film both in colour and black and white. This unexpected commission led to a lifelong friendship with Exworth and his wife Susie.
Each of the seven sheds have their own character and each contains remarkable sculptures, but perhaps the shed that conveys the most fascination when one enters is The Pump Room. Leaning against the east walk of the cottage one discovers inside three life-sized figures, each a clown from The Circus.
I have never quite understood how they might individually find their places in the huge work which Ray imagined, but as they stand or sit together they from a small troupe. They were where they now stand in 1983 when I first entered this shed and took a picture, so for over 40 years they have been together.
Sculpted in plaster, with exquisite detailed rendering of the human body, they are painted in such a way as to suggest that they might in a flash suddenly spring to life, as if they were existing in an enchanted realm. The shed is particularly crampt, setting up the large camera and tripod is really awkward, but somehow through the challenges one deals with in the most can lead to the best pictures.
The book is available for pre-order now, including the special edition, which contains a 10x8" print, exactly the same size as it was shot on large-format film. picture is one I treasure and a print will soon adorn the walls of our own home.
The eldest of five sons, Exworth was born in Ipswich, Suffolk. His father worked in an iron foundry and visiting his place of work, combined with his experiences as a child during World War II, had a profound effect on the artist. Initially, Exworth worked in the Meteorological Office before studying at Ipswich School of Art, and resolving to become a sculptor. He went on to study at the Royal College of Art (1955-58) and the year after graduation he married Susan Kalman and set off on his motorbike to establish the sculpture department at Falmouth University. After the death of his father in 1985, Exworth worked for nine years on his most significant work, ‘The Circus’. After abandoning this he began a series of intricate linked works in his various sheds. After his death, the Ray Exworth Wroxham Turst was established to preserve his work on a smallholding in the Hamlet of Releath in Cornwall, as an inspirational educational resource.