Spatula

His explorations are mutually bound to the objects he creates, giving his practice a depth of connection. Each object is different, but together they speak as a family. Munro uses his sculpture to understand the world we live in and the circumstances that shape us. Seeking explanation and reassurance from the materials and objects he uses, his work seeks a path within process through his interest in the life of objects, the language of materiality and their relationship to scientific discovery and the human condition.

A mixture of shared symbols, mementoes of family, natural and scientific histories combine with transformed objects and materials in Munro’s work. Whether personal or alluding to wider concerns, there is a bond that holds them together: his research through the physicality of sculpture.

Past projects have been the catalyst for Munro to move from a focus on solo working to communication and collaboration with other artists. In 2000 the project Beyond Use led Munro towards deep research into the creative possibilities of iron. From the core of the earth, to blood within our veins and the magnetic compasses of the animal kingdom, iron connects all things on this planet and beyond into space. What happens to the spirit of iron when objects of the past are melted down and remade in new sculptural forms? Munro’s research seeks to explore this question.

Munro has lectured at Edinburgh College of Art since 1990. In 2005 he was elected as an Academician of the Royal Scottish Academy and in 2009 elected Associate of the Royal Society of Sculptors. He was a founding member of Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop and served as Assistant Director until 2023.

– Sandy Wood and Gordon Munro 2024