introducing myself

[MIKE WILLIAMS <sculptorman@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

About myself - I am a practicing sculptor living in
Yorkshire in the UK, working mostly as a carver and I
currently teach 3D skills at Calderdale College in
Halifax  and work as the temporary Public Art Officer in
Oldham, Lancashire commissioning work from artists to
embellish new develoments in the town. In the past I
have taught Stone carving in  Adult Education at
Todmorden Community College in Calderdale and Craven
College in Skipton

A year ago I was involved in setting up an open access
stone carving workshop 'The Gritstones' to enable
amateur carvers in Calderdale to gain access to better
facilities. Every year I am also involved in running
Britains largest temporary sculpture trail at Hardcastle
Crags in Hebden Bridge where I live - which attracts
60-70 pieces a year to our 2 mile route in an area of
outstanding natural beauty. (e mail me for details)
Otherwise I have been working off and on as a sculptor
for the last nine years afler graduating with a degree
in sculpture from Wimbledon School of Art, studying
under Glyn Williams . Most of my work is primarily based
around carvinglconstructions working on specific pieces
directly In situ.

Pretenttious as it may sound, I believe that sculpture
is the creation or objects which exist solidly in the
real world with us. They retain their 'objectness" but
if successful as sculptures they also have a quality of
otherness - a real identity - a being seperate from us,
an existence 'that the sun falls upon at a different
angle'. I  work to create organic and totemic objects,
that can serve to carry a significant symbolic,
spiritual and narrative charge. The material I work in
mostly is  Stone,  but also Wood, and Steel, all
retaining within them the traces of the processes that
created them. Stone is an especially important
sculptural material to me because being of the earth it
is organic - 'alive' - it gives life to the sculpture.

I do not claim to be a mason, but I have a great deal of
experience and am an enthusiast and I hope  on this site
we will all learn together.

Mike Williams