Arlunydd wrth ei Waith /Artist at Work

No place to hide: sculptor accepts challenge of creating piece for Holyhead comprehensive school working in an open Trearddur Bay studio.

Summer 1972: sculptor Mervyn Baldwin, with technical assistance from artist Paul Spooner, takes on the challenge of creating a piece for Holyhead's comprehensive school. The project entails working from a studio set up in Trearddur Bay, open to questions, comments and criticism from visitors who are free to call all day, every day, for 3 weeks. Over 1000 people engage in the act of art-making, watching the aluminium used take shape before their very eyes.

Mervyn Baldwin (1934-2013), was born in Immingham, Lincolnshire, attending Grimsby School of Art 1951-53 and Leicester School of Art 1953-1959. He was awarded the prestigious Prix de Rome Scholarship in Sculpture 1960-62. Between 1962 and 1975 he lectured at Leicester, Cardiff and Newport Colleges of Art. He exhibited with the 56 Group Wales in Britain and Europe. The aluminium for the Trearddur Bay project (24th July – 14th August 1972) was donated by Anglesey Aluminium Metal Ltd. The project was opened by Cledwyn Hughes, Labour MP for Anglesey (sporting a light cream jacket and a spotted tie). Baldwin's wife, Patricia, assists with sanding down, their youngest son with welding.