Artist Spotlight: Iain Purves, Studio Resident + Fine Art MA Student

Introducing studio resident Iain Purves who will be joining our European Fine Art Masters programme this Autumn. Over the next few days, Iain will be taking over our Instagram feed as part of our ongoing series of #TMSTakeovers to give us insight into his practice, projects and what he has been up to at TMS so far...

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Words + images c/o Iain Purves.

Hello my name is Iain Purves! I studied Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College. As an Engineer and Product Designer I have developed waterless toilet systems which generate energy from human waste. The aim is to provide desirable, affordable and off-grid toilet systems for the poorest households in the world.

My art practice is quite broad and incorporates sculptural 3D printing, interactive lighting, digital rendering and amination, work incorporating electronics, and marquetry amongst other things.

I was initially drawn to The Margate School by the diverse facilities on offer including the wood workshop, but was quickly taken by the friendly welcoming atmosphere and general buzz. I have been working on Marquetry (wood veneer) pieces, so I've been making use of the wood workshop. I also make regular use of my studio space for design work.

I'm currently working on a lighting project which combines mechanical motion, light reactive surfaces and programmable electronic control. I'm hoping to develop this into a series of works which can be responsive to a wide variety of data inputs.

The Margate School Community is open, inclusive, friendly, welcoming and radical!

I'd also recommend going down to Walpole Bay! It's my favourite spot in Thanet and It's on my doorstep. The swimming in the pool is wonderful!

Thank you to Iain for taking over our feed and sharing a glimpse into his practice. Iain will be joining our European Fine Art Masters this Autumn for the new academic year. Find out more and get in touch with him through IG, @iainjprints.

If you're interested in joining Iain on our MA programme, follow this link to apply: themargateschool.com/fine-art-masters

Applications close midnight on 29th August.