Our Custodian, @sorchadallas , was deeply honoured to write the obituary for sculptor and educator David Harding in @guardian
Harding believed art should exist in the same conditions as everyday life — “standing in the same weather as everyone else.” As town artist for Glenrothes in the late 1960s and 70s, he embedded sculpture directly into the fabric of the town: underpasses, bus stops and housing schemes. Working alongside planners and using the same concrete and brick as the surrounding streets, his work wasn’t decoration but a statement — that public space could hold memory, poetry and dissent.
He later brought these ideas to the environmental art department at Glasgow School of Art, where he encouraged students to move beyond the studio and engage with institutions, communities and landscapes as collaborators.
With deepest thanks to David’s family - Donald and Ben Harding, Peter McCaughey @petermccaughey , Lizzy O’Brien and Ross Birrell for their support in writing the piece.
Now online — link in bio.
#davidharding
#alasdairgray
#thealasdairgrayarchive
Glasgow has lost one of its true radical champions today — David Harding.
This photo was taken a few years ago when David visited us, thanks to Lizzy and @petermccaughey for making it happen. He was a much-loved regular at our annual Gray Day and will be deeply missed this year.
David was a generous supporter of our Custodian @sorchadallas and knew Alasdair well from their overlapping days — Gray at The Glasgow School of Art @gsa_sea , Harding at Edinburgh College of Art. When he visited, he fondly recalled the rowdy central belt meet-ups between the two schools. Their paths crossed often. In 1985, David became Head of Gray’s former department at The Glasgow School of Art, now known as Sculpture & Environmental Art.
Gray’s training in mural making and stained glass at GSA fostered a temporal approach to practice — works unfolding and reforming across decades. That department evolved into Environmental Art, shaped decisively by Harding’s vision. Through his leadership, the ethos “context is half the work” influenced generations. It’s a principle that resonates strongly with Gray’s lifelong commitment to repairing Glasgow’s overlooked histories. David was also a tireless advocate for others, using his position at GSA to support and shape countless artists and creative lives across the city.
Born in Leith in 1937, David studied at Edinburgh College of Art before attending Moray House College of Education. After teaching in Scotland and Nigeria, he returned home determined to work as an artist. From 1968–1978 he served as town artist for Glenrothes, embedding art into the fabric of everyday life. Later, he lectured at Dartington College of Arts before returning to GSA in 1985 to lead Environmental Art, retiring in 2001.
David believed art belonged in the world — in its streets, its schools, its housing schemes, its conversations. His influence is woven through Glasgow and far beyond.
We are grateful for his generosity, his radicalism, and his care.
He will be so deeply missed.
#davidharding
#alasdairgray
#contextishalfthework
So good to catch up with just a few of the students teachers and friends who have helped our fundraiser party and film become more visible in March ❤️and great @waveparticleglasgow working such inspirational models ❤️
