Iron: Mapping Material Practice

The output consists of a body of 19 sculptural works made of iron, produced by Gordon Munro in collaboration with Ewan Robertson. The works were presented in two solo exhibitions – Iron: Origins and Destinations at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, 2017, and Iron: Artefacts and Actions at Park Gallery, Callendar House, Falkirk, 2018. The research explores the historical, geological, social, cultural and aesthetic registers of iron and brings these findings to the contemporary practice of sculpture. By examining iron’s multiple facets and roles within and beyond art, Munro and Robertson map the diverse territories that tie the art object into an expanded domain of inquiry. The research seeks to unveil diverse perspectives on and understandings of the physical world and bring new light to the complex creative potential of a singular material. The exhibition Iron: Origins and Destinations was accompanied by a series of public events including a symposium, publication, practice workshops, archival film screenings and a documentary film about Munro and Robertson’s practice (see Appendix, page 28). The artists were subsequently invited to stage Iron: Artefacts and Actions at the historic Callendar House in Falkirk. The brief was to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Falkirk’s iron industry and its global impact by creating work that responded to and explored Falkirk Community Trust’s extensive Carron Works archive. A publication and public workshops accompanied the exhibition.