Commissioned by Kate Denton – Sculptor

Kate Denton, Sculptor in Lavenham

It’s a privilege to spend time with the sculptor Kate Denton at her home in Lavenham, Suffolk. The place mirrors her working life. There’s a bespoke studio, an impressive gallery and a sculpture garden, all in one spot. Kate’s roots are in Sheffield, and her career has been built on real talent and persistence. After graduating from Goldsmiths College with a postgraduate degree in foundry techniques, she had the honour of learning under Sir Ivor Roberts-Jones. She went on to become one of the first women in the UK to work the tools of a commercial foundry, which is still a notable part of her story. Over the past 35 years she has been sculpting steadily, making her own pieces and carrying out private and public commissions with real dedication.

A bronze welcome

Arriving at Kate’s, you can’t miss the life-size bronze Suffolk Punch standing in the middle of the car park. Anyone who has stood next to a real Suffolk Punch will know the strength and solidity of the animal, and it’s caught exactly in the bronze.

Into the studio

After a warm exchange over coffee, it was time to head into the heart of things, the studio. It’s full of life, with sculptures at various stages of completion competing for attention, each one a glimpse into the careful process behind the finished work. Before Kate lays hands on any material, she starts with detailed sketches, an art form in their own right.

The commission

My first visit had two aims. First, to gather stock photography for the website, print and social media. Second, to begin the sculpture photographs for the catalogue. I do a lot of commercial and headshot work across Suffolk, and I’ve always found that side of the job interesting, but stepping into an artist’s own creative space took it somewhere else. Working in a studio while someone makes gives you a rare view of how the work comes together.

Having documented Kate at work and caught the detail of her process, I came away with a real sense of having done something worthwhile. These stills, catching creativity in its rawest form, matter a great deal to me as a photographer. The photographs will stand as a record of her talent and add to the catalogue of her work.

Now I’m looking forward to the next visit and the chances it will bring. Photographing the life and work of someone like Kate is more than a job. The lens is my tool, but the art and its maker are the real subjects of this story. I can’t wait to carry on and add more chapters to it.

If you’d like a professional headshot in Suffolk, or want to talk about a commission, please get in touch.