Rob and Nick were initially introduce to the work of Jacob de Gheyn at Fondation Custodia in Paris in the 2010s, where they saw the wonderful Ambrosius Bosschaert the Younger’s ‘Dead Frog with Flies’ (c.1630), which they subsequently used as the source image for one of their first ‘Transforming’ films (‘Transforming Vanitas Painting’, 2012-2013, now housed in their Fritz Lugt collection).

Coincidentally, Fondation Custodia also owned an album watercolours by Jacob de Gheyn, which the Carters immediately fell in love with.

They subsequently became enthralled with more of de Gheyn’s work and spent time researching anything and everything they could find in the Netherlands in 2015.

Having created a 3D sculpture after van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ in 2012–13, they became confident to tackle more complex works and were immediately keen to bring some of de Gheyn’s lesser known drawings into the physical material world as sculptures.

The fruits of their labour were realised using the most advanced technology of the time to turn 2D drawings into 3D models, solely using de Gheyn’s drawings as reference, using a variety of processes and materials, including stainless steel, hand painted walnut, and bronze.

The bronze sculptures were virtuoso feats of digital organic computer modelling and a demonstration of precision casting. The sculptures were 3D modelled solely using de Gheyn's image as eference. 2D scans were used to generate the textures and produce a print from a Polyamida 3D printer. This print was then moulded and cast using a lost wax process. Some sculptures (such as the heron) were then silver plated and finished by hand.