Tim Shaw 'The Origins of the Drummer'

T I M S H A W
T H E O R I G I N S O F T H E D R U M M E R

“A symbolic work that celebrates the spirit of a land and its people.”

The Drummer
A Symbolic Work that Celebrates the Spirit of a Land and its People.
The beat has been in existence from the beginning of time.
It is life itself, present within us all. Perhaps the Universe has
its own eternal pulse. That most primitive of instruments,
the drum, is used to summon and communicate, it entertains
and evokes feeling. My own relationship with the drum began
during my early childhood in Belfast. On every twelfth of
July, and throughout the marching season of the preceding
months, the ground and air would thunder and pound with the
collective beat of drums as Orangemen paraded in mass
through streets across the province.
It was no surprise that when I first set foot in Cornwall,
twenty five years ago, I described it as a place whose drum
beats differently to anywhere else, referring to the primordial,
magical and timeless aspect that the land possesses. This came
to mind, when in 2007, I was invited for the second time to
submit a proposal for a sculpture for Truro’s Lemon Quay. I
viewed the opportunity as a chance to celebrate something
that would reflect an aspect of Cornwall and its people, and
not just the city.
What does it mean when we refer to Cornwall as timeless or
magical and what makes this County different from any other?
The search for answers led to walks across moor, coast,
and underground into the tin mines, to conversations with
different people, from all walks of life. “ You could feel the
black,” an ex-miner described the thick, stifling, dimly lit
atmosphere of his subterranean working environment. It’s a
description that had profound resonance.
After some thought, I concluded that Cornwall in modern
times is better known as a tourist destination and a place
where many people have chosen to settle. There is, however,
something more fundamental that defines the peninsula. Many
miles from the country ’s administrative centre, poised on the
edge, jutting out into the great Atlantic Ocean; Cornwall is
geographically and to some extent, economically remote. The
shared sense of magic and timelessness that one feels not
only comes from the barren landscape and rugged coastline
and from the quality of light the peninsula possesses, but also
from the dereliction and desolation left over from a by-gone
industrial age. Living in a remote place often brings some
kind of hardship. Perhaps it is this that has instilled within the
nature of its people, a quiet and proud sense of independence
paralleled with an instinct to survive whatever the prevailing
circumstances may be.
In the archives of Truro Museum there is an extensive
collection of photographs of tin miners working underground
around the turn of the 1900s, taken by the photographer
J.C.Burrows. One photograph in particular, portrays seven
men standing in front of a mineshaft. The image is both
haunting and austere; the subjects look sternly into the camera
lens, they are united by life’s hardships, which are etched into
the faces of each and every man, a look that is more difficult
to find in Cornwall today.
It is perhaps then, the men and boys that mined tin for
generations in the heat and darkness below ground level, and
the fishermen that battle against the sea that best describe the
spirit of ‘steely resilience.’ It is exactly this that The Drummer
celebrates as it forces a mighty blow upon the drum.
The ball on which the figure balances relates to the sea, earth
and the bright moon that shines across expansive night skies.
The composition originates from an installation entitled La
Corrida ~ Dreams in Red. The decision to use the ball was
inspired by the quay ’s circular paving design, which refers to

the tidal water beneath it. The ball suggests both a sea buoy
and the globe across which a great many Cornish people
migrated to find work.
The Drummer sculpture is cast in bronze, an alloy composed
of copper and tin. The cast contains both an ingot of Cornish
tin and Cornish copper which has been symbolically thrown
into the crucible during the smelting process. The emblem
of the lamb and flag embossed upon the drum represents
purity and refers to Truro’s past as a stannary town where tin
was weighed, stamped and sold. Situated midway between
Land’s End and Saltash, Truro has traditionally served its rural
community as a commercial centre. In turn, the Drummer
brings to the heart of it a sense of the rural community through
which it celebrates the rhythm and beat that drives many
festivities throughout the county: the Helston Floral, Penzance’s
Mazey day, St Just’s Lafrowda and that most primal and magical
of rites, The Padstow Obby Oss and more recently, Truro’s
winter city lights.
Twenty-five years on from my first arrival in Cornwall, it is
an honour to have been commissioned to create this work. It
is uncanny, yet fitting, that the sculpture, which endeavours
to define something about Cornwall and its people, should
have been created in a disused quarry building in a remote
location that was once the centre of the granite industry
where rock was blasted and shaped by masons. It is that
same rock which paves the many streets of our capital, three
hundred miles away.
Tim Shaw. 2011

It is a great accolade to be housing this momentous exhibition
by Tim Shaw at Millennium. This exhibition and the significant
public unveiling which follows make it, arguably, his largest and most
enduring project to date.
Shaw is a sculptor with extraordinary diligence and dedication, which
in turn leads to an often-missing prerequisite – monumentality. With
Tim Shaw, that elusive element is always present, in small maquette
or larger form. The work is iconic. It is therefore appropriate
that Shaw was commissioned to make The Drummer. The result
fully represents the determination of people and place - balanced
defiantly on the edge. In his Artist statement he has spoken at length
and in detail about the specifics of the project and its relationship
to its site. However, it seems important for me to introduce by
focussing on the permeating subjects within Shaw ’s work as a
whole, and how these themes have culminated in ‘The Drummer ’s’
pervasive importance - not just to the centre of Cornwall, but to
Tim Shaw ’s oeuvre and to the wider context of artistic history.
Shaw ’s work deals with primordial human instinct, laying it bare,
never flinching from confronting us – with darkness and light. The
need to recollect such truths is vital the more progression shields
us from some of our fundamental characteristics. The yearning for
such works of art becomes more and more important by way of
resistance – to remind us who we really are. Shaw earlier stated,
“There is a need for me to give shape and form to the emotive
forces that lie beneath the appearance of everyday reality.”
Reaction to the work in the past has been extreme – ‘Silenus’,
a larger than life figure, with antlers, holding his erect penis and
staring unnervingly into the eyes of the viewer made National news
when it was attacked by a masked man with an iron bar whilst on
exhibition in the East End of London in 2007. In mythology, the
wise old fool was tutor to Dionysus. As with much of Shaw ’s work
the mythological or historic thematic structure merely underpins
a contemporary concern. A subtext for this defiant, conceited
figure was the sneering frivolous nature of power, a warning of an
inherent corruptive human element. This piece was originally
envisaged as part of the installation ‘The Rites of Dionysus’ on
permanent display at The Eden Project linking closely to the
mythology of the bacchanal, but giving shape to perennial extreme
facets of human nature acted out in full on life’s stage.
From mid 2007 to late 2009, a substantial body of work was realised
during Shaw ’s residency in London, where he lived and worked
in Kenneth Armitage’s former studios as recipient of the Kenneth
Armitage Fellowship. Drawing from personal experience of his
formative years growing up in troubled Belfast, Shaw made a series
of works focussed on world conflict, and the emotive forces that
propel and perpetuate acts of extremism. ‘Tank on Fire’ was made;
taking inspiration from images of events in Basra where an ignited
soldier flees a burning tank. The piece was announced winner of the
inaugural Threadneedle Judges Prize. Shaw also made ‘Man on
Fire’ a double life-sized figure propelled uncontrollably forward
whilst engulfed by flames. Shaw stated of these works, “I tried to
imagine the thoughts and feelings of someone consumed by fire, of
someone who is caught between two worlds, that of life and death”.
The culmination of the residency was ‘Casting a Dark Democracy ’
a 17 foot sculpture of the Abu Ghraib prisoner stood in front of
a mirroring pool of oil on a sand covered floor. A smoke filled
low-lit room, and drumming heartbeat pulse completed the
installation. The true cost of conflict, fear and greed made palpable.
Jackie Wullshlager, critic for the Financial Times heralded the piece
‘The most politically charged yet poetically resonant new work on
show in London’ whilst Gilda Williams of Artforum stated ‘Shockingly
powerful… I’d assumed that no work could ever match the impact
of the actual newspaper photos, but Casting succeeds”.
My last experience of working with Shaw was on the 2008
exhibition ‘Future History ’, which took place mid-way through the
residency. The exhibition was a mixture of maquettes of images of
conflict alongside a series of ‘Fertility Figures’ and ‘Funerary Figures’.
In his catalogue introduction Shaw confronted an initial concern
over, what could be termed, disparate subject matter, stating, “At
first glance the work pursues two distinctly different paths, one
deals with current affairs the other has its roots in something much
older... Perhaps one thing that binds it together is to do with the
most primal of all concerns which is the will to exist.”
After the productive residency in London, Tim returned to Cornwall
to begin this intensive period of work on The Drummer.
Featured as part of this exhibition is the early installation; La
Corrida - Dreams in Red, made from 1996 to 1999 after a three
month residency in Andalucía. It is a depiction of a stage that rages
with energy, passion and grace. Elements of beauty, sensuality and
brutality merge. All participants vigorously alive, yet at all times
intensely aware of their mortality. Amongst the ensemble sits a
flamenco dancer elegantly balanced on large spheres. It was the first
use of this universal symbol within Shaw ’s work. Shaw once told me
of a profound moment which occurred after the death of his Father
- when he asked his Mother if his Father had passed peacefully she
said ‘he slowly drew back less and less breath until finally if was as
if a great ball of silence had filled the room’. This powerful, poetic
notion becomes difficult to elude and adds another layer to the
significance of the ‘orb’ symbol.
The origins of The Drummer could be seen as the seeds that drive
all of Tim Shaw ’s work, the pounding pulse of existence, the defiant
yet graceful balance on a precarious ball of uncertainty representing
forces greater than ourselves. The Drummer will stand as a centre
piece to Cornwall but will also stand as a permanent monument to
the ephemeral state of balance between life’s resolute, magnificent
endeavour and the unknown which awaits us all.
Joseph Clarke. 2011

Figure on Ball I
bronze
edition 16
height 19 cm
6

7

8

Figure on Ball II
bronze
edition 16
height 18 cm
9

Figure on Ball III
bronze
edition 16
height 15 cm
10

11

12

Figure on Ball IV
bronze
edition 16
height 19 cm
13

Figure Study I
ink on paper
42 x 59 cm
14

FIgure Study II
ink on paper
42 x 59 cm
15

Dancer on Ball I
bronze
edition 16
height 24 cm
16

17

18

Dancer on Ball II
bronze
edition 16
height 24 cm
19

Dancer on Ball III
bronze
edition 16
height 24 cm
20

21

The Dance Between Two Forms
The first proposal for Lemon Quay consists of a composite of two monumental sculptures to
be placed at each end of the quay. At the wider end, a swan with a wingspan of twelve metres
stands upon a sphere that appears to float upon a shallow pool with water cascading down
from its wings. Facing this, on the opposite end, a female figure stands upon a ball, with arms
out-stretched, she appears to conjure up the vision of the giant bird 80m away.
Originally entitled: ‘In Remembrance of Tidal Waters that Lies Beneath’ the idea responds to
a sentiment shared by some of the local community that the quay should be restored to its
original condition.
Rising Swan
bronze
edition 8
height 11 cm
22

23

24

Swan Study I
ink on paper
42 x 30 cm
Swan Study II
ink on paper
42 x 30 cm
Swan Study III
ink on paper
42 x 30 cm
25

26

In Remembrance of Tidal Water I
bronze
edition 8
height 19 cm
27

In Remembrance of Tidal Water II
bronze
edition 8
height 23 cm
28

29

Study for The Drummer I
ink on paper
59 x 42 cm
30

Study for The Drummer II
ink on paper
30 x 21 cm
31

32

The Drummer: Small Maquette
bronze
edition 16
height 26 cm
33

The Drummer: Large Maquette
bronze
edition 5
height 65 cm
34

35

36

Head of The Drummer
bronze . edition 5
plaster / resin . edition 8
height 56 cm
37

The Drummer, Cornwall, 20/10/10
official archive studio silver gelatin photograph
signed by Nik Strangelove and Tim Shaw
25.5 x 20.5 cm . edition of 8
61 x 51 cm . edition of 8
Tim Shaw and The Drummer I, Cornwall, 20/10/10
official archive studio silver gelatin photograph
signed by Nik Strangelove and Tim Shaw
25.5 x 20.5 cm . edition of 8
61 x 51 cm . edition of 8
38

TIM SHAW
1964 Born Belfast
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
1985 – 89 Falmouth College of Art – BA Hons Fine Art, First Class
1984 – 85 Manchester Polytechnic – Art Foundation
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2011 The Origins of The Drummer, Millennium, St.Ives
2009 Riflemaker presents at The Kenneth Armitage Foundation, London
2008 Casting A Dark Democracy, Kenneth Armitage Foundation, London
Future History, Goldfish Fine Art, Cornwall
2006 No Title, Goldfish, Cornwall
2005 Truro Cathedral, Cornwall
1999 La Corrida: Dreams In Red, Falmouth Public Art Gallery, Cornwall
1997 La Corrida: Dreams In Red, Duncan Campbell Gallery, London
1992 Fragments from the Middle World, Albemarle Gallery, London
2006 Visiting Picasso, Falmouth Art Gallery, Cornwall
2005 Royal Ulster Academy, Ulster Museum
Critic’s Choice, NSA, Lemon Street Gallery, Truro
The Sculpture Show, Mullan Gallery, Belfast
2004 Drawing the Line, Newlyn Art Gallery
Bath Fringe Festival
Millfield Open Exhibition (first Prize)
2003 Truro Museum, Cornwall
Identity, Newlyn Art Gallery, Cornwall
Millfield Open Exhibition
2001 Obsession, Newlyn Gallery, Cornwall
2000 Art 2000, Gordon Hepworth Gallery, London
Lemon Street Gallery, Truro, Cornwall
1997 Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London (prize Winner)
1996 Casa Manilva, Spain
1993 Northampton Museum and Gallery
Images of Christ, St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
Artists of Promise, Bonhams Gallery, London1992
The Working Process, Newlyn Gallery, Cornwall
1990 Summer Show, Albemarle Gallery, London
1985 The Otter Gallery, Belfast
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COMMISSIONS
2011 The Exquisite Trove , Newlyn Art Gallery
Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London
2010 F. E McWilliam Gallery, Banbridge, Northern Ireland
The House of Fairy Tales, Millennium, St. Ives
The Uniques Store, Riflemaker, London
2009 Volta, Art Basel, Riflemaker
In The Mix, Pangolin, London
2008 Threadneedle Prize, shortlisted (Selectors Prize), London
Mixed / No Theme, Goldfish, Cornwall
Icons, 108 Fine Art, Harrogate
2007 Move, Goldfish at Vyner Street, London
Politics Pays Back, Kowalsky Gallery @ DACS, London
Margins, Sherborne House Open 07, Sherborne, Dorset
Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London
Art Now Cornwall, Goldfish, Cornwall
2006 Spontaneous Combustion, Newlyn Gallery, Cornwall
2009-11 The Drummer , Lemon Quay, Truro, Cornwall
2008 The Minotaur, The Royal Opera House, London
2000-4 Rites of Dionysus, The Eden Project, Cornwall
AWARDS / PRIZES
2008 Selectors’ Award: Threadneedle Prize, Mall Galleries
2006 Kenneth Armitage Sculpture Fellowship Award
2005 The Mullan Prize, Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition
Prince of Wales Bursary Award, The British School at Athens
2003 First Prize, Millfield Open
1997 Prize Winner, Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London
1996 Delfina Studio Trust Award, Residency at Casa Manilva, Spain

TEACHING
2001 Ceramica Workshop, St Ives International, Cornwall
1994-09 Visiting Tutor, Falmouth College of Art
SELECTED PRESS / PUBLICATIONS
2011 The Origins of The Drummer, Millennium, Catalogue
2009 The Threadneedle Prize at the Mall Galleries, Financial Times
The New Curiosity Shop, GQ , Sophie Lewis
Casting A Dark Democracy review, Dazed magazine online
Casting A Dark Democracy review, Art Forum, Gilda Williams
2008 Casting A Dark Democracy review, Financial Times, Jackie Wullschlager
Casting A Dark Democracy, Critic’s Choice, FT
Casting A Dark Democracy review, Time Out, Francis Gooding
Casting A Dark Democracy, Critic’s Choice, Time Out
Future History, Goldfish, Catalogue
The Genuine Article, Cornwall Today, Alex Wade
Penzance Turns Regeneration into a Fine Art, The Observer, Alex Wade
No Bull – the Covent Garden Monster, The Evening Standard, Georgina Littejohn
2007 Politics Pays Back review, The Spectator, Mark Glazebrook
Is this the New Brutalism?, The Times, Hester Westley
2007 New Face of Cornish Art, The Times, Laura Gascoigne
Sherborne House OPEN 07, Big Issue August
Brian Sewell & the Art of Insulting your Hosts, The Independent, Ian Herbert
Sunday Times Culture Magazine, Richard Brooks
Move, Goldfish at Vyner Street, Catalogue
2006 No Title, Goldfish, Catalogue
NSA Summer Show, Goldfish Fine Art, Catalogue
2004 Summer Exhibition, South West Academy, Catalogue
2003 Landscapes & Desire, Catherine Tuck, Sutton Publishing
Catching the Wave: Art and Artists in Cornwall, Tom Cross, Halsgrove
2002 Art: N.S.A., Newlyn Society of Artists, Catalogue
Eden: Tim Smit, Bantam Press
Broomhill Sculpture Gardens
2000 20 Years of Contemporary Art, Falmouth Art Gallery, Catalogue
1993 Images of Christ, Religious Iconography in 20th Century British Art, Catalogue
1992 Exhibition review, Spectator, Giles Auty
Tim Shaw would like to thank:
Joe and Hollie Clarke and Sarah Goldbart at Millennium for their
continued support
Nik Strangelove for his official archive photography of The Drummer
Alban Renoird for the interview film
All at Bronze Age Foundry, London and Sculpture Studio, Devon
Neil Scott at Totally Truro
Big Ears Audio
The team at Cornwall Council : Andy Cook , John James and Donald
Martin.
Truro town clerks past and present: Russell Holden and Roger Gazzard
David Buurma of Mor Design and Mark O’Brien, for making it happen !

Published by Millennium to coincide with the exhibition ‘The Origins of The Drummer’ by Tim Shaw
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form
or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publishers
Archive images of The Drummer and Tim Shaw © Nik Strangelove (www.studiostrangelove.com)
Film stills - Alban Renoird (www.eiafilms.co.uk)
Printed by Active Colour (www.activecolour.co.uk)
ISBN 978-1-905772-43-8
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