In the winter of 1994, David Mach was commissioned by the Edinburgh District Council to create a site-specific installation for the port area of Leith. In keeping with the scope of his earlier works, Mach created a monumental temple. At the time, it was the largest temporary public sculpture ever built in the UK. The Temple at Tyre was visible from various viewpoints around the city and mirrored the Edinburgh landmark Carlton Hill with its unfinished neo-classical Temple. During its install and one month on view, the controversial piece attracted the attention of the city, dividing the opinions of tourists and locals alike.

Mach chose to construct the Temple using 8,000 tyres placed upon a stack of 145 shipping containers. Opening up a dialogue between repurposed mass-produced materials and the industrial setting of Victoria Dock. While the raw shipping containers did not look out of place, the classical Temple summoned associations of worship and ancient Greek mythology. In this way, Mach invited viewers to consider the language of classical architecture adopted throughout Edinburgh and its effects on our experience of place.

Given the engineering challenges, the maquette Mach made for this commission was crucial for ensuring the monumental work was executed correctly. In reflection Mach also considers the maquettes to be individual works of art, “I had thought I was making maquettes for bigger pieces – to aid their making- but I revise that now. These smaller temples, some big enough to be made with car tyres, others with toy car tyres, are sculptures in their own right.” To have a lasting record of this important commission, Mach decided to cast the maquette with Pangolin Editions in 2020. This collaboration with the foundry is the first time Mach has cast at scale in bronze, making Temple at Tyre one of the few works by Mach that can be bought and displayed both inside and outdoors.

Born in Methil, Scotland, in 1956, Mach graduated from the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee, in 1979 before moving on to study at the Royal College of Art, London, in 1982. He is a former Turner Prize nominee and was elected a Royal Academician in 1998. Throughout his career, Mach has held numerous teaching positions within the art world and was appointed Professor of Sculpture at the Royal Academy of Arts in 2010. As well as exhibiting internationally in such locations as London, New York, Dubai, and Hong Kong; his work is held in numerous prestigious public and private collections around the world. In 2021, David Mach’s first architectural commission, Mach 1, will be completed for Edinburgh Park.

David Mach lives and works in London and Scotland. Pangolin London are proud to represent David Mach.