14 DAY TRIAL // A Scottish stone sculptor takes modern art to a whole new level and, with his latest project called “The Identity Collection,” challenges our concept of what can be done using stone.
Alasdair Thomson lives and works in Edinburgh, Scotland. He developed his skills in Italy and has significant experience in carving large-scale sculpture and other elements of decorative stonework, both in his native country and abroad.
Thomson is a History of Art graduate of the University of Edinburgh, and his studies of Classical and Renaissance sculpture and the use of dress have clearly influenced his work.
He became interested in clothes and the way they are depicted through art and decided to produce his own contemporary take on this classical subject. Through his sculptures, the artist sought to capture the way the fabric hangs and folds.
“I started to play around with some flowing drapery forms and eventually started carving simple T-shirts and folded men’s dress shirts,” the 32-year-old artist explained, as reported by Edinburgh STV.
“I produced a piece of work that was wall-hanging called Ruby and that is when I thought ‘Ok, there is something in that.’”
He explored this theme with his recent works included in “The Identity Collection” – a series of 12 sculptures of various garments made out of marble. Each piece is based on an item of clothing that has been gifted to Alasdair by a friend and named after that person.
“We seek identity in what we wear. It identifies us with a particular group and influences the way people see us,” Alasdair said. “The identity of the person who contributed the garment is captured in the stonework,” he added.
As staple, stone leaves its own stamp on the resulting work, sometimes fracturing unpredictably. However, Thomson's sculptures are so realistic that they create the illusion that they are real clothes.
The artist also made stone restoration at historic buildings such as Rosslyn Chapel, St. Mary’s cathedral and St. Gyle’s Cathedral in Edinburgh.
Alasdair won the People's Choice Award for his work “Blouse” at the 2012 Open Exhibition at Edinburgh's Royal Scottish Academy, and this convinced him to open his first solo exhibition, titled “Fabricae,” in February 2013, at his old school Fettes College.
This year, his work was shown in London, New York and Hong Kong as part of the Affordable Art Fair. He will also be exhibiting in Italy and Vermont in the summer.
Check out some of his amazing sculptures in the photo gallery below.
