Slate | Acorn
Acorn is a sculpture that draws directly on the fundamentals I learned as a child, working alongside my father and absorbing the principles of dry stone walling almost by instinct.
While those early lessons remain at the heart of my work, my technique has evolved over the years. The construction is now a refined hybrid informed by traditional methods, yet engineered so the sculpture can be safely handled, transported from my workshop and installed around the world. It also ensures the piece remains robust for public and private settings alike, resisting both the elements and the occasional inquisitive hand.
The lower section, the cap of the acorn, is formed from Lakeland Blue slate from the north west of England. Here I have riven the slate to varying thicknesses, leaving the surface intentionally rough and allowing greater negative space to emerge between the layers. This introduces depth and texture. The nut above is shaped from finely riven Vermont slate, this time selecting autumn green tones, lending the upper section a quieter, more refined surface.
Standing almost two metres tall and weighing over three tonnes, Acorn offers a gentle contradiction. The familiar phrase speaks of potential, yet here the acorn itself is already 'monumental'. In this wonderful Scottish garden, up close the layered fabric-like construction invites inspection and inevitably the question, "how did this get here?" I love that my work is often the source of intrigue.
Though commissioned for a private client in Scotland, Acorn can be realised at different scales, making it equally suited to gardens, estates, arboretums and larger public or corporate settings.
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