Duncan Walters (b. 1966) is an artist with over twenty years’ experience as a monumental stonemason. This has involved him in numerous projects for the public and private sectors, which have included various commissioned pieces. For the past five years he has been studying design and fine art, beginning with a placement at Truro and Penwith College, where he completed a foundation course in 2013 with a final distinction. Awarded a place at Falmouth School of Art in the same year, he studied fine art, graduating with a BA degree. During this time he was able to continue his work as a stonemason. Since graduating he has been elected a member of the Newlyn Society of Artists and his work has been selected for thesociety’s exhibitions at the Tremeenheere Gallery, Penzance.
The artist writes about his BAMS medal, Trophy Fish: ‘In my opinion the humble sardine or pilchard is a true trophy fish and its importance as a sustainable food source for generations puts it on a level with other larger fish such as salmon and tuna. In times of famine and hardship the sardine has proved itself as a nutritious source of protein, feeding nations for centuries. The sardine can be found all over the globe and is known by many different names. These small fish can be preserved in various ways, then stored to be used in the winter months when other food sources have been exhausted. In my home county of Cornwall we still have a sardine fishing industry based in Newlyn and export to countries such as Italy, which, as a predominantly Catholic country, consumes a large amount of fish every Friday, but, with its ever-growing population, cannot provide enough fish of its own. It makes me, as a member of the Newlyn Society of Artists, proud to think that the Newlyn sardine can still be both an international food source and a subject for art, as it was back in the time of painter Stanhope Forbes and the other founding members of the society. This medal is dedicated to this tiny fish and I would like to thank William Schoeman and the technical staff at Falmouth School of Art for their help and support.’