Slate | Fa'side Urn
Fa’side Urn was conceived as a contemporary response to the classical Grecian vessel form. While the silhouette draws on historic precedent, the intention was never to replicate tradition, but to slow it down, strip it back and allow material, proportion and weight to carry the work forward into the present.
Standing at approximately two metres in height, the sculpture is constructed entirely by hand from Lakeland Blue slate. Thousands of individual pieces are shaped and stacked, with the slate riven to varying thicknesses to introduce subtle shifts in rhythm and texture. Some faces are split against the grain, retaining a naturally smooth, almost unworked surface, while others are deliberately tooled. The interplay between worked and unworked edges breaks up uniformity, softens the negative space, and adds depth and tactility to the form.
From a distance, the urn reads as composed and assured. As the viewer approaches, the structure reveals itself through layered edges, natural fissures, and minute variations that resist mechanical regularity. This balance between refinement and honesty is central to the work: the curves are carefully controlled, yet the surface remains unapologetically mineral, allowing the stone to retain its inherent character.
The sculpture is grounded on a bespoke base of hand-worked Witton Fell sandstone, supplied as part of the commission. Plinths and bases are an integral part of my sculptural thinking; they should never compete with the work itself, but instead provide a quiet transition between sculpture and setting. Here, the sandstone introduces a subtle tonal and geological counterpoint to the darker slate above, drawing a clear but harmonious line between object and ground.
Installed in Scotland, Fa’side Urn responds calmly to its surroundings, holding space without demanding attention. Over time, light, moisture and weather continue to deepen the dialogue between material, form and landscape, reinforcing the sense of permanence that underpins the piece.
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