Artists of Festival of High Temperatures 2015 – Andy Griffiths

Andy Griffiths- Sculptor. Programme Co Ordinator BA Sculpture, Casting Carving and Construction, Carmarthen School of Art.

Andy Griffiths grew up in North Wales and studied his foundation course at Wrexham College before leaving education to be lead singer of punk band ‘The Wall’ from 1978- 1983 before returning to study a BA(hons) degree in Fine Art Sculpture at Central School of Art and Design, London where he was taught foundry by Ab Abercrombie. After leaving college he worked at A&A Fine Art Foundry, London for seven years where amongst other things he was assistant to Barry Flanagan. He moved to West Wales in 1994 and started lecturing at Carmarthen School of Art on the Sculpture course, continuing the tradition of bronze casting at the college. In 2005 with students and staff he built Y Ddraig Goch (The Red Dragon) a cupolette for cast iron, in 2006 with staff and students the cupolette ran at the 5th Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art in Ironbridge, later that year Andy was voted in as Co Chair of the 6th International Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art which was held in 2010 in Kidwelly, West Wales, there was also an exhibition of Contemporary cast iron to accompany the conference in Kidwelly castle curated by Wilfred Cass. In 2008 ‘The Wall’ where asked to reform to perform at Rebellion, Punk Festival, Blackpool.

He has continued to make sculpture and exhibit his work annually over the last 30 years, completing several commissions and working mainly in stone, bronze and cast iron. His work is in collections in the UK, Europe and the United States. He has recently completed a major commission for Chevron oil company at Milford Haven and Pembroke dock West Wales.

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