The challenge to capture the dynamic movement of a ‘flying’ monkey as a sculpture was how to ‘suspend’ it in midair. The concept is to create a base made of steel to simulate the effect of a ‘shadow’ and it is connected to the monkey with a thin ‘invisible’ stem. Material choice for the main body is vital to provide a good balance. It cannot be made in solid metal as it would become too heavy and unstable, too easy to tip over. In the end, an epoxy resin, reinforced in the core, was chosen and the main body is casted in a multi piece carbon fibre tool for accuracy. The resin part is then hand polished to achieve a perfect surface without imperfections. A copper coat is applied using electro plating, polish again, and a final coat of nickel is applied for a high shine mirror finish.
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