SCULPTURE CULTURE

An inveterate scribbler of drawings and maker of things from an early age, I predictably went to art college straight from leaving school. Finding the experience somewhat unrewarding made me realise that I needed a rigorous training in the making of things - so, by a somewhat circuitous route, I enrolled on a City & Guilds course in carving, lettering and masonry and ended up as an improver architectural sculptor at English Heritages’ Stonecarving studio in Vauxhall, London.

I spent the following few years honing the skills whilst undertaking figure and ornament carving on historic buildings such as the Palace of Westminster, Hampton Court, Chichester Cathedral, York Minster, Howden Minster and Spencer House. I moved to Yorkshire in 1990 to work in the carving shop at York Minster and then at Dick Reid’s Workshop, before starting my own practice in the city. Setting up my own studio in 1994 enabled me to fulfil creative aspirations designing and making work to commission across the UK and Europe.

In the main I work in limestone, sandstone, slate and marble using a combination of hand tools (mallet, hammer, chisel, pneumatic tools) and dry cutting with diamond bladesstandard fare if you’re familiar with stone working techniques. The more significant element for me is the thinking and experiment processes involved in arriving at a piece of work, it’s often site specific and I try to incorporate layers of reference but in a relatively simple way - ironically, this can be complex and frustrating but extremely rewarding when things come together - especially so if there’s an element of accident or chance in arriving at the solution.

The thing about Yorkshire that I find most affecting is the rich diversity of its landscape, both natural and urban. The range and contrasts are dramatic, both culturally and spiritually - it’s very enriching. Just in the last week I’ve found myself in that truly stunning building that is The Hepworth in Wakefield, completely absorbed in the ceramics of John Ward and the photography of Hannah Starkey and then, raw and wind battered in the glorious North Dale, Rosedale following the Hanging Stones walk; the dun, sombre tones I find highly emotive.

I was fortunate enough to be awarded a NESTA (National Endowment For Science Technology and the Arts) Fellowship in 2005. Arup Leeds partnered me during this period and enabled the realisation of some experimental and collaborative work which broadened my scope considerably. I’ve only just completed a design proposal for a harbour based project in Northumberland which was commissioned by Arup Fellows. It’s due to go into development in due course and represents a new direction for me which is a genuinely exciting prospect.