Alasdair Thomson- The identity collection

 As a follow up to the On Form stone exhibition at Asthall Manor, I have researched the stone sculptor Alasdair Thomson who lives and works in Edinburgh, Scotland. Through his current series of sculptures, Alasdair is exploring the way fabric hangs and folds, and is attempting to capture this lightness and gracefulness in stone. It has been named 'The identity collection' because his recent sculptures are carved copies of garments donated by his friends and family. He seeks to capture the characters of those he invited to donate. The results are timeless and nostalgic.

This sculptor appealed to me due to his portrayal of memories and the meaning behind his sculptures. I loved the idea of preserving a garment which will last for hundreds of years to come. I see this as a technique of true reflectivity and a way to capture personal objects. I like the idea of seeing how the fabrics hangs and folds which must be an incredibly tricky and time-consuming process. Alasdair has used Carrara marble to create these pieces. It is pure white with slight flecks which contrasts with the surroundings and gives the garments a special, weightless feel. I have decided to use this artist to link with the direction which I want to take in this project which is personal reflectivity. I have created an A1 page linking to this artist. There are other pictures of his work on here too, including a wedding dress and a pair of trainers, all made of stone. To reflect Alasdair's intention of seeing how the fabric fold and hangs, I have drawn some fabric in oil pastel on the page by observational drawing. I really enjoyed drawing this as the folds are so delicate to get right. And the shading and shadow has to be in the right place for the fabric to look 3D and this is what I feel Alasdair has done so well and a technique which I shall take foreword. 

I would firstly like to create a response from this artist, by perhaps drawing one of his works in a different media in order to get the feel of drawing fabric and then i may continue practising with drapery in different media. I would also like to develop this idea in the future by preserving my own family garments or objects. To do this I could perhaps use plaster to create a hardened surface. Although plaster is not the same as marble, I feel that this would be an interesting technique to try.