I trained at the Lanchester School of Art from 1983 to 1986 in the aftermath of Art and Language. This was an interesting time as the intellectual rigour of Art and Language still persisted but there was also a strong work ethic and a particular focus on the link between analysis and studio practice. Key influences on me were Dick Whall, John Yeadon, Rosalind Miles, Peter McCarthy and Graham Howard as well as my peers.
I was heavily involved in the Artsweek programme which produced performance and Avant Garde work by guest artists and students from the school and other universities.
My personal work has gradually gravitated from ephemera towards solids as I have engaged with my past and my own need to have a lasting impact on places.
The link between motive, intent and outcome has been a constant thread in my work.
Moving into commissioning meant stepping back from making and instead engaging more with the relationships between other artists and the communities and clients that we were asking them to work with. Over time my skills and knowledge base have grown enormously and I have felt able to mentor commissioned artists and clients so that they felt more confident in the process. My own ideas have influenced projects substantially since the early ‘90s but it was only in the 2000s that I started making again.
As I have become more and more skilled and confident, I have felt the urge to see my own ideas realised.
I am less stimulated by working in galleries as my main interest remains in shaping the public realm for a broader constituency.
Recent projects acknowledge the Legibility and Movement research and development that I have undertaken during my career.
I am passionate about architecture and landscape design and look forward to collaborations should they arise. The artworks that I have made so far have been largely freestanding or wall mounted sculptures but I am interested in developing integrated works, street furniture system, highway and pavement marking systems and pedestrian guidance.
The stream of work that I have begun with trees will continue in three directions: freestanding sculptures, street enhancement systems and providing green environments where root systems or growing branches are not feasible.
Casting is a major part of my work and this will continue over the coming years in resin, cast iron, bronze and aluminium.
I have used fabrication and set up good working relationships with two sculptors/metalworkers whose skills far outstrip mine but who are happy to help me realise my ideas.
