Scottish artist sculpts shoes that are not made for walking
Article by Camila da Paz | Source: Stone Sculpture
Not too long ago we wrote about Barbara Segal, the amazing artist who makes luxury bag out of luxury stones (if you missed this post, click here). This week I discovered yet another amazing artist who works with marble in another not very tradition way, and his name is Alasdair Thomson.
At first glance, these pretty dresses look like just the sort of summer attire you’d have hanging up in your wardrobe. They are an off-white, almost grey color (a big trend this season) and are in frilly, boho-style that has become so popular. But, on close inspection, you will see that the lovely dresses are, in fact, made of marble – sculpted over eight months by Edinburgh-based artist Alasdair Thomson.
Alasdair achieved his degree in Art History from the University of Edinburgh in 2004, and his diploma in sculpture from the Scuola Edile in Siena in 2010. As well as making his personal work, Alasdair has completed sculptural commissions for clients such as Nike, Puma and Arkk Copenhagen, amongst others.
Alasdair Thomson had this to say when we questioned him on his work: "I have been fascinated by the way that fabric folds and hangs, and I am seeking to represent those forms in marble as accurately as possible.
It is also a fun idea to make something look very soft out of something that is very hard."
"I am always excited to see people’s reactions to my work, and I enjoy challenging their expectations of what is achievable in stone."
That, basically, says it all, with the possible exception of some technical information on him and his art.
Alasdair Thomson lives and works as a sculptor in Scotland’s capital Edinburg. He studied art history specializing in the Renaissance Period of the 1400’s and discovered his interest in sculpting.
After graduating he sought and found an experienced sculptor to train with. He absolved his further training in the USA during the following few years. To broaden his professional base he enrolled in a program at Siena’s Scuola Edile, from whence he graduated with a diploma in stone sculpting.
His favorite material to make the sculptures is marble from Carrara, which he has been working with for years. The white or blue-grey material is popular for building and sculptures. ‘I'm flattered that people really like this work. It really resonates with people, which is lovely - people identify with them.’ - says Alasdair. He won the People's Choice Award at Edinburgh's Royal Scottish Academy 2013 Open Exhibition, and is the recipient of a residency with the Carving Studio & Sculpture Centre in Rutland, VT, due to be undertaken in the summer of 2014. He also carved in 2019 the Nike’s Studio Of Dreams at Superbowl LIII in Atlanta, GA.
How cool is that guys? And again, natural stone never seize to amaze me with its beauty and versatility! I just love it! How about you?
