David Harding (artist)


David Harding, is a Scottish artist best known for his residency as a town artist in Glenrothes and as Head of Environmental Art at Glasgow School of Art. He was born in Leith, Scotland.

Education

From 1955-1959 Harding attended Edinburgh College of Art, where he studied the sculptural use of glass, concrete and ceramics. He attended Moray House College of Education in 1960.

Career

From 1961-1963 he taught in various schools in Scotland before moving to Nigeria to work in the art department in a bush teacher training college. He returned from Nigeria at the age of 30 and decided to give up teaching, instead undertaking sculpture commissions.
Having spent a year as a self employed artist, Harding answered an advert in The Scotsman newspaper for a post with Glenrothes Development Corporation. He undertook the role of town artist from 1968-1978, working with the planning department. This involved creating a series of public art installations throughout the new town, using building materials that were used to create local housing such as bricks and concrete. Most notable works include the Henge, a spiral of cast concrete slabs and Heritage, rows of concrete embossed columns.
Publications: 'Glenrothes Town Artist' 1975 Glenrothes Development Corporation.
'Artists and Buildings' 1977 the Scottish Arts Council.
From 1978 - 1985 he lectured at Dartington College of Art in the department of Art and Social Contexts
In 1985 Harding started teaching the new subject of Environmental Art at Glasgow School of Art. Several of Harding's former students have been nominated for or received the Turner Prize. Harding retired from the school in 2001.
Publication: 'DECADEnt - Public Art, Contentious Term and Contested Practice'. 1997 Foulis Press, GSA.
Edited with Pavel Buchler. Other contributors include Sam Ainsley, Stanley Bonnar.
Awarded the OBE in 2002

Exhibitions

Harding is married with six children.