Mary Syme Boyd

Mary Syme Boyd (15 August 1910 – 30 October 1997) was a Scottish artist and sculptor who studied at the Edinburgh College of Art from 1929 to 1933.

In 1934, Boyd was awarded another scholarship which allowed her to travel to Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Belgium and France.

According to the Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women "her notebooks about her European tour and her wartime service are extraordinary testaments.

"[1] Whilst travelling, she sought out examples of modern sculpture but also admired pewter, Danish silver and wood carvings in churches.

Boyd's Kestrel, however, eschews these narrative orthodoxies and aligns instead with modernist principles, choosing to depict this bird as a benign creature.

Carved from wood, Kestrel's simple lines and unadorned surface serve to illustrate that Boyd was aware of modernist discourse involving 'truth to materials', espoused by Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth at this time.