MKDL meets: Carl Fox
How did you get into
leather marquetry?
My journey to marquetry has been a long, winding road. I didn’t have the means to go to university so I decided to channel my creativity through a career as a hairdresser. I had a wonderful career, but felt myself drawn to craft, particularly design and architecture. I spent my spare time signing up for courses and studying everything from textiles to upholstery, carpentry to ceramics.
I eventually decided to begin a degree part time whilst still working, and signed up for a B.Sc in Psychology. As part of this I was introduced to the concepts of biophilic design and architecture, and how material choice, colour and texture can affect our health and wellbeing. I was totally fascinated by the whole idea.
I discovered leather quite by chance, absolutely fell in love with it as a medium, and decided to combine my knowledge from everything I had learned to bring an artistic voice to this awesome material.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
My main source of inspiration is the natural world. The palettes and textures are quite phenomenal when you start to break everything down to individual shades and tones.
We have an intrinsic connection to nature, it’s built into our collective psyche. I use a combination of leather and wood veneer, materials have been used by our ancestors for millennia. We’ve had a relationship with them since we were born in one way or another. By working in a non-figurative manner, it allows the viewer to explore their innate connection to the elements and create their own narrative.
I also take a great deal of inspiration from brutalism and modernist design. Almost the antithesis of the natural world, I adore how the use of such simple forms can be both incredibly strong and forceful whilst remaining delicate at the same time.
How important is sustainability to your work?
I have always set out with sustainability in mind; we all have a responsibility to look at how we consume both privately and professionally.
There is a lot of misinformation out there regarding leather, and leather alternatives, and I think it’s part of my role to educate wherever possible. Quite simply, leather is a byproduct of other industries. A beautiful material that would otherwise go directly into landfill. I would urge people to research the realities of ‘responsible’ substitutes as quite often these are predominantly created using elements that are far worse for the environment. Wood veneer is also a beautiful sustainable way to get as much material from a single log as possible. Each section of veneer being about half a millimetre thick so one tree goes an incredibly long way.
I take a great amount of time researching my suppliers and how responsible their sourcing practices are too. I aim to create as little waste as I can and luckily, with a lot of the elements used in marquetry work being so small, almost everything is usable material.
What excites you about your work?
Everything! I tend to be quite excitable when it comes to my work. I have such a respect for the range of skills, and the pure commitment of those working within the art and craft sectors. It’s an honour to be a part of that community.
It’s also incredibly exciting to watch the journey that your practice takes. I was incredibly fortunate to be awarded the Carpenters Company scholarship from the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship trust, allowing me to embark on a new period of learning. This has influenced my process in ways I couldn’t have imagined, and I’m already looking at my materials in a totally new light. I would expect my work to look quite different in a year’s time. How exciting is that!
