Factory Friday : George Thompson

In our ongoing Factory Friday series, we are delving into the stories behind some of the Scottish Manufacturers that you can find on Make Works.

This week, we've interviewed cabinetmaker, George Thompson about his fabrication business based in The Glue Factory in Glasgow. George Thompson is a cabinetmaker, specialising in furniture, interiors and the fabrication of sculptural artwork.

How did you get into making furniture?

I was about fifteen when I first took a real interest in furniture.  I liked art and especially sculpture, then I started seeing work that blurred the boundary from art into design and furniture in particular. I find that crossover really interesting.  A few years ago I think I was playing around with ideas from design in my artwork, now I'm probably playing with ideas from art in my design work.

What was the first piece that you made?

Again this would be when I was about fifteen.  I stayed and worked at a place called Woodschool in the borders.  They did everything from forest management to furniture making.  They were hugely generous to me and gave me a space to work as well as materials and tools.  I made a big carved seat in oak with a seared finish.  I’m really grateful to that place and in particular a guy called Eoin Cox.  He really went out of his way to give me an education, not just in the actual making of furniture but in every aspect from sustainable forest management through to pricing and selling.

Who is your typical customer?

Really anyone.  When I’m doing purely fabrication work its often for architects or artists.  But when I’m also designing the work it could be a private commission for someones house or a public space like a bar or office.

You've done work with Martin Boyce, what was that like?

Pretty good.  Its no surprise that every last detail of his work seems so finely tuned.  He gives you precise drawings leaving only ambiguities where he trusts you to know what the best option is.  I’ve done some larger objects but also some very small details that are part of larger projects.  Every detail seems meticulously considered and I appreciate that.

What's it like running a fabrication business in Glasgow?

I think theres a lot of interesting things going on in Glasgow.  The visual arts scene is obviously talked about a lot but it extends to theatre, nightlife, design, and so on. Its probably fair to say that I do a lot of jobs that by themselves might be considered quite boring, but when you see what they are apart of are very rewarding.

To find out more, you can look at the George Thompson's listing on Make Works here

You might also be interested in reading our Factory Friday about McRostie Leather, a traditional leather-working workshop in Johnstone.