Slate is a fantastic material which has been used for construction for many years and which has formed on ocean floors around 360 to 544 million years ago when the earth was incredibly volcanic! This material is chemically resistant, waterproof, and non-combustible, making it fantastic for roofing tiles or for artistic use; there is a wealth of amazing art work consisting of slate out there, but what made artists choose this stone in particular
James Parker Sculptures
We cannot mention slate artwork without the name James Parker. He created his first slate sculpture in 2007, and has since held numerous exhibitions to present his incredible artwork. He has created several pieces of breath-taking art using slate, from a large slate sphere sculpture, to a slate cone, you can view these sculptures through his gallery.
For one of his projects, we supplied James with our Vermont Structural Unfading Green slate, creating his Apple sculpture. This beautiful slate sculpture portrays the simplicity of the art, with slate offering texture which many materials do not.
There are various ways to display art, and Welsh Slate did just this with their slate, providing materials for flower shows at Chelsea, Hampton Court, and Tatton Park. Their slate provided a beautiful decoration, capturing the eye.
Slate has been used to create truly amazing slate sculptures! One of the most famous is from British sculptor Stephen Kettle who, working with thin pieces of stone slate, created a 1.5-ton slate sculpture of Alan Turing that truly shows the amazing flexibility of slate. Located at Bletchy Park, the sculpture took 18 months to complete, and the detail it brings to the eye is mesmerising. His other sculpting work includes figures, busts, and animals.
These are just a few examples of the art created by such a durable material, emphasising the many amazing uses slate has! Here at UK Slate, we know this natural stone can be used in many ways you didn’t know possible, so, if you would like to find out more information about our slate products and services, get in touch with a member of our team today and we will be happy to help!