Abstract
Glenrothes is a new town between Edinburgh and Dundee and is halfway towards its target population of 70,000. It was originally created to form a community for miners moving to a colliery being developed to the south, but when the mine failed the town set about attracting general industry. It has benefited socially from not being a “satellite” to a close-at-hand city.
The town is pleasantly situated astride the River Leven to the south of the Lomond Hills. The coastline and countryside of Fife around offers excellent recreational facilities. The town itself has been developed throughout with low-rise housing and plenty of open spaces.
In 1968 the Development Corporation advertised for an artist to contribute creatively to the external built environment of the town. David Harding was appointed and some of his work since then is described here. The text below is from an address given to officials of other new towns in Scotland, which — like many other local authorities — are keen to provide similar appointments.
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David Harding was born in Leith in 1937. He attended Edinburgh College of Art from 1955 to 1959 studying the uses of glass, ceramics and concrete in architectural situations. After a year at Moray House College of Education he spent three years teaching in various parts of Scotland. From 1963 to 1967 he developed an arts section in a bush teacher training college in Nigeria. He was self-employed the following year and executed works in Edinburgh, Falkirk, Paisley, Galashiels, Hamilton and the Outer Hebrides. In 1968 he was appointed town artist by Glenrothes Development Corporation. He is married with five children.
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Harding, D. Town artist. Urban Rev 9, 31–35 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02216022
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02216022