About the Project
When Graham Ibbeson’s Eric Morecambe statue was vandalised in 2014 there was both a huge public outcry and renewed interest in the piece.
As a result of this interest Graham Ibbeson, the artist, who we have known for some time, asked us to help him produce a set of limited edition bronzes from the original model.
We 3D optically scanned the original 7ft model of the Eric Morecambe statue to an accuracy of 0.05 mm and then scaled the computer models down to 380mm and 220mm. The computer data was used to rapid manufacture the smaller Eric models out of resin. This enabled the models to be used as tooling to make the casts for forging, which allowed Graham to paint up the resin models to show potential clients an exact replica of what he would cast for them.
This way Graham could increase the number of orders, thereby increasing his margins by casting in multiples rather than as single casts, thus secure the money to invest in the casting process. It also allowed us to work with the bronze foundry to accurately cost the limited edition run of numbered maquettes.
Now the data has been captured there are a number of other commercial opportunities open to Graham. We have been asked to section the model data to enable a version of the Eric Morecambe statue to be machined and mounted on a wall of a theatre and on the outside of buildings. The model data enables the statue to be machined from a range of materials and accurately scaled as required.
(Case study and image produced with kind permission of Graham Ibbeson)