Laura Ford. ARMOUR BOYS

The project involves the making and showing of the work 'Armour Boys' by internationally renowned sculptor Laura Ford. The Scottish Sculpture Workshop (SSW) manages the production phase of the project for which it has obtained funding from the Esme Fairbairn Foundation. The Royal Scottish Academy has collaborated with SSW and Laura to host the exhibition phase of the project. By exhibiting 'Armour Boys' at the RSA in Edinburgh, this new production by one of Britain's most exciting contemporary artists, will be accessible to a local, national and international audience during the Edinburgh Festival in 2006.

'Armour Boys' features five child-like figures dressed in suits of armour cast in bronze . Unlike knights in traditional suits of armour, the figures look small, slumped, pathetic and helpless conjuring a feeling of impossible weight and claustrophobia. This impression is further reinforced through the position the figures inhabit. Thrown by the sculptor in different ways against a wall and the floor, this is a far cry from traditional suits of armour displayed standing upright in museums and grand halls. 'Armour Boys challenges concepts traditionally associated with war. The figures which would normally appear menacing, have something humane about them, forcing the viewer to reassess preconceptions about binary opposites of good/evil so easily conjured up when faced with acts of violence.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a range of educational activities in collaboration with Scottish Sculpture Workshop, Scottish Arts Council, Amnesty International, City of Edinburgh, National Museum of Childhood and the Filmhouse. Laura Ford is represented by Houldsworth, London.