On this page Robert outlines his credibility as a craftsman and artist.
About Robert Lawrence
of Ingrained Culture
A profile of Robert Lawrence, woodcarver & artificer, artisan sign maker and sculptor - made by Robert.
.... and what is an Artificer?
The word artificer is perhaps a little awkward but an artificer is the traditional word for a backroom craftsman. The person who actually makes the art. An artificer is not necessarily the artist but the man (in this case) who, with simple hand tools, applies experience, skill and judgement to translate a design into a 3-D sculptural form.
Free exciting design process | Highly personal service | 100% legal & sustainable Grown in Britain wood
Human written website, written by Robert.
Wooden art and woodcarving have come full circle,
from ancient to bang on trend.
Making art from wood and woodcarving, are probably among the oldest crafts known to man. But I Robert, at Ingrained Culture, combine this ancient craft with contemporary fashions and on trend values. What I mean by this, is that every item I make is made from 100% legal and sustainable British grown wood. Obviously it all looks natural, and it is ethical, but more than that, I pride myself on producing products which are as environmentally responsible as practicable today and fit for purpose. My artisan signs and sculpture are credible Eco-friendly alternatives to the use of high carbon or finite materials.
In sign making my signs are robust and heavily made but they still have a very light touch on the environment. My wooden sculpture is fit for permanent outside installation and unlike the alternatives, my wooden people or animals have an air and quality of real life about them. When the sun shines on my sculpture, they are actually warm to the touch - compare that with dead metal like bronze or steel.
I use very traditional hand tools in my craft, complemented by the medium of video for excellent and exciting communication, it's all part of the service you can expect - be ready to get involved in the creative process.
Whether you buy a simple house number plaque or a large garden sculpture, all are made by Robert from 'Grown in Britain' wood.
Starting with what is probably Robert's most successful sculpture to date - COVID CLOUDS
I think it was Grayson Perry who said that you know when you've made it as an artist, when your work enters the Public Collection.
Robert's lockdown one sculpture, was taken into the Public Collection by Aberdeen City Council in May 2021,
to be 'conserved for future generations'.
First staged during the first COVID lockdown in Johnshaven Aberdeenshire, COVID CLOUDS consists of 12 clouds each with a different phrase or question carved into it that were apt and poignant during the COVID 19 pandemic. The clouds were suspended from over hanging trees along a rural path of about 120m in length. As one walked the length of the installation one went on a journey of thought and retrospection in an attempt to understand what was happening.
Summer 2024 COVID CLOUDS feature in the exhibition 'Imagined Landscapes'
at Aberdeen City Public Art Gallery
You can read the COVID CLOUDS page on Aberdeen City Art Gallery's website by clicking here.
One of the twelve 'COVID CLOUDS'
Robert made this First World War Centenary war memorial which is publicly owned and on permanent display.
'A wave to our past' made by Robert. A public art sculpture on permanent display.
An example of Robert's 'Climate Currency' coin, that took part in the worldwide event 'Climate Action and Visual Culture' in 2021 hosted by Huddersfield University.
When dealing with Robert, you can also be sure of professional business standards, see the business awards below, won by Robert and Ingrained Culture.
Ingrained Culture is:
Best Eco-friendly Wood Carving Business 2024
UK Enterprise Customer Care Excellence Award 2024
Ingrained Culture is:
Best Sustainable Eco-Signage Micro Company 2023 - UK'
If you would like to know more about the process of ordering an artisan sign or garden or memorial sculpture, please go to 'the whole experience' below.
Exhibitions and Press Coverage of Ingrained Culture - Robert's Work.
2017, 2018, 2019 Exhibited in:
- London,
- Cambridge,
- Leeds,
- Bristol,
- Dulwich
- New York.
2020
- 'Covid Clouds' touring - free for all - art installation.
- 'Full Circle' magazine,
- Curatorspace 'News',
- 'Craft Edit',
- Heritage Crafts 'news',
- 'Artists Responding To...' Zine,
- 'Trend' magazine
- 'Society' magazine
- Exhibitor in the: Aberdeen Art Fair
- Exhibitor in: Handmade in Chelsea
2021
- 17th October Sunday. COP26 Climate Fringe. Robert's Climate Currency in use at the 'Climate Cafe' in Glasgow.
- 11th to 17th October, Grown in Britain Week, Saturday 16th Robert's work is taking part in the 'Connecting with Communities'
- 13th September 2021 installed 'A Wave To Our Past' a public art sculpture in Gourdon, Aberdeenshire.
- Following a worldwide open call, Robert's work has been accepted by the 'The Climate Action and Visual Culture Team' at Huddersfield University, to take part in research and an online event this summer. Live online event 28th July 2021 and online Art exhibition now available.
2024
- Robert was a contributing artist to the exhibition 'Electric Ladyland' London. pieces featured were the Eco-warrior toilet signs.
This business, Ingrained Culture, has been awarded the certification mark of the UNESCO Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere
The Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere has been recognised internationally as a
world class environment for people and nature.
Since my Biosphere certification I have been aligning my existing practices to the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals and I am beginning to draw attention to them and writing more about it here on the website.
For example, my workshop is in the grounds of my isolated home and I built it on low stilts so it provides a sheltered environment underneath for small mammals and other tiny life. The structure is all wooden and the use of concrete is restricted to small independent slabs on which the stilts stand, about 10% of what a solid concrete floor would have used. The fencing around my workshop I have made using hazel rods from my own on site copse and therefore I have built a wattle fence and laid the former derelict hedge (crushed through past years by a tractor mounted flail cutter) into the wattle ending up with a stock proof boundary with no wire, nails or plastic. The new wattle/hedge will rejuvenate into a fully diverse Biodiverse hedge.
I have recently set up a 24 hour wildlife camera alongside my workshop - take a few seconds and watch the deer.