E Lawrence Bradshaw designed the Karl Marx tomb in Highgate Cemetery which is interesting not just because it's a great sculpture but because of the political context. It led to him getting far less work and becoming slightly outcast. At one point the sculpture was actually bombed, because of what it was.

C So what was Bradshaw’s process to create such a large bust?

E He will have made a smaller maquette first then measured heads using callipers to scale up. His other sculptures are interesting as well. As traditions changed, many sculptors were exploring abstract ways of representing the world but sculptures of faces always remained the most profitable. With the Marx project, Bradshaw came from being praised for the beauty of his work to then falling out of grace for committing to Karl Marx and this project. It's an interesting dynamic for these sculptors, who become tied to political figures and royalty.

C Yes, I suppose for some it might mean being tied into a certain belief system which you may not actually believe in. Did Bradshaw become famous for this kind of work as well?

E Definitely. It gets your name out there. All different international newspapers featured the sculpture. You can see how important it was to so many people. Both positive, and of course negative such as when it was bombed.

C Tell me, what do you think the fascination with heads is in a sculptor’s work?

E I think it stems from their focus on memorial; on what people look like and memories of them. In history, it was also a sign of status so it was very popular to have a bust of yourself as a member of royalty. Of course, typically we’d see Greek busts that are smaller in size and could be kept in your home. In contrast, Bradshaw’s Marx tomb towers over you and everything around it.