Modern Maker: Oliver Cook
A selection of Oliver Cook’s most recent sculptural pieces will be showcasing at Gabriel Scott’s London showroom, as part of our Modern Makers series.
Oliver Cook is an artist creating vessels and sculptural objects in alabaster. His technique and process is self-taught and has developed organically following traditional carving techniques.
Cook’s works are both functional and sculptural, exploring the relationship between the translucent properties of the stone and light.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Oliver Cook about his venture into working with stone, what truly inspires his work and why he was drawn to alabaster in particular.
GS: What’s the main inspiration behind your work?
OC: Natural light is one of my biggest inspirations, it’s always something I’m drawn too and consciously looking for. My current work explores the translucent properties of alabaster through simple everyday forms, such as bowls and vases.
GS: How did you get into your craft?
OC: For a long time I was working with wood to make furniture, I’ve also worked with clay and have tried casting with bronze and iron. Stone felt like a natural progression as I was able to draw on many of the different techniques and skills I’d used before.
GS: What’s your background in?
OC: My formal background is in design working as a User Interface Designer.
GS: How do you see your work progressing?
OC: In the future I’d like to use different kinds of stone, though at the moment I think I’m still understanding how to work with alabaster and have a lot more to learn. I have a few ideas for pieces planned this year that I’m excited to get started with.
GS: Are you interested in exploring other materials and crafts?
OC: During my first solo exhibition last year at The Scottish Gallery I made a several pieces intended to be hung on the wall, for which I made wooden hooks. I think wood and stone complement each other so well and it’s definitely a material I’m currently looking to integrate more into my work.
GS: What does the making process look like for you?
OC: When I first start working on a piece I’ll sketch out as many different variations of the design as I can think of and measure the block of stone I’ll be using so I can more accurately plan each piece. Once I’m happy with the sketch and everything aligns properly I’ll mark the cross-section views in pencil. Sometimes after I’ve marked it out on the stone I’ll alter the proportions slightly to account for any marks left over from quarrying.
Once I’m happy with the rough shape I work on refining the form gradually with rasps and chisels, this is a very slow process. I’ve started modelling more complex sections with thick aluminium wire and sometimes clay, that really helps to provide a visual reference while carving.
Finally when I’ve finished refining the form I’ll start wet polishing the surface with sandpaper, again this is quite a lengthy process but the investment in time and effort is definitely worth it as the smoother the finish the clearer the veining detail becomes and it also helps to improve the translucency of the stone.
GS: How long does the making process take?
OC: The making process is very slow, taking around 15 - 30 hours to complete each piece and is largely dependant on the complexity of the design.
GS: What do you find the most difficult & enjoyable part of making?
OC: The most difficult part is understanding how to create some of the more complex shapes such as abstract curves and spirals. I’ve started to use clay to model some parts and experiment with different surface patterns before I begin carving the stone.
Consequently one one of the most enjoyable parts is when I’ve successfully translate the form in my head onto the stone, it’s like completing a three dimensional puzzle.
GS: When did you start making and why?
OC: I started carving stone after discovering the work of Hanna Eshel in late 2019, a huge source of inspiration for my work. I immediately became fascinated with her marble sculptures and soon found the nearest stone yard, bought some alabaster and a small set of chisels and rasps and began teaching myself. The first thing I made using the stone was a vase. This is inspired after visiting an exhibition by Jenifer Lee at Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge.
GS: Do you have a favourite piece in your collection? If so why?
OC: My favourite piece would have to be my square bowl with wavy handle, there’s something so tactile about picking it up and carrying it.
GS: What are five collections / art pieces you have been looking at lately?
Julian Watts - Carved wooden paintings
Ian Collings - Stone stools and tables
Ariele Alasko - Wooden mobiles
Jess Murphy - Ceramic Sculptures
Elliot Barnes - Half Light
GS: Where can people see your work?
Instagram: @__olivercook
Exhibiting at: Gabriel Scott London Showroom - 12 Old Burlington Street, Mayfair W1S 3AH
The Scottish Gallery - 16 Dundas St, Edinburgh EH3 6HZ
Discover more about our Modern Makers series here.