Let’s Talk About… Unheard Stories

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In this episode, In this episode, writer Francesca Flowers reflects on her father, photographer Adrian Flowers, and the time he spent in the studios of Mary and Kenneth Martin during the 1950s.
Her words are read by Zoe, bringing warmth and clarity to this beautifully written historical insight.

We follow Adrian’s visits to the Martins’ London studio, his fascination with constructionist and abstract art, and the photographs that captured Mary Martin’s quiet intensity and self-effacing presence.

This episode explores:

• Adrian Flowers’ relationship with the post-war art scene
• His photographs of Mary & Kenneth Martin in their studio (1955 onwards)
• How the Martins built upon St Ives modernism
• Mary’s mathematically structured, minimal, rigorous practice
• The creation of Environment for This Is Tomorrow (1956)
• The gifted work Expanding Form and the 1984 Tate retrospective
• Mary Martin’s lasting impact on British modernism

A thoughtful intersection of photography, art history, and personal memory,  giving rare context to a crucial moment in post-war British abstraction.

You can find out more about Adrian Flowers here https://adrianflowersarchive.com/

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🧠 Created by Nicky | Sound design by Nicky

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Artist Audrey Grant joins me for a reflective, quietly powerful conversation about Mary Martin’s Wall Construction and the deeper artistic ideas that run through both women’s work.

Audrey shares how she approaches Wall Construction, the geometry, the stillness, the discipline, the invitation to slow down. We talk about the connections between Mary Martin’s ordered structures and Audrey’s own practice, particularly her interest in presence, attention, and the emotional weight of space.

In this episode we explore:

• What makes Wall Construction such a magnetic work
• How Mary Martin balances precision with feeling
• Why Audrey is drawn to silence, stillness and repetition
• The shared language between their practices
• What happens when you really look at an artwork, without rushing

A thoughtful, intimate episode for anyone who loves abstraction, process, and the hidden layers inside art.

You can find out more about Audrey and her work here https://www.audreygrant.co.uk/

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On the night of January 28th, 1716, Dunning was burning.

As Jacobite troops from the Earl of Mar’s army retreated through Strathearn, they set fire to villages along the way. 

Thirty-three families lost their homes, and at least three villagers died in the bitter cold that followed. 

Out of the destruction came two enduring landmarks: the Thorn Tree in the village square, planted later that spring, and the Straw House, said to have survived through a clever bluff. 

In this short walk, we trace how fire, loss, and survival left their mark on Dunning. 

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In this episode, I speak with Paul Martin, son of the artist Mary Martin, about her life, her process, and the story behind Wall Construction, one of the most iconic works in the University of Stirling Art Collection.

We talk about:

• Whether Mary ever visited the University during the commission
• How Mary approached abstraction, simplicity, and the idea that “the work should explain itself”
• Paul’s childhood memories of growing up immersed in the art world
• The Belfast hospital commission and the surprising story of what eventually happened to it
• The legacy Mary Martin left, both as an artist and as a mother
• How the family navigated the balance between art, architecture, and everyday life

This conversation is a rare and intimate insight into Mary Martin’s work from someone who lived inside that world.
 It offers history, humour, and a deeper understanding of the ideas behind her constructions.

Mentioned in this episode:
Toby Paterson, Douglas Hall, Matilda Mitchell, Sam Gathercole, the This Is Tomorrow exhibition, and the University of Stirling Art Collection.

🎧 Listen and discover the story behind one of the university’s most compelling artworks.

Image  © Art UK / University of Stirling Art Collection 

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 In the heart of Dunning stands St Serf’s Church, its tower dating back to the 1200s. But the stories it carries go much further: a local legend of a saint and a dragon, and a sandstone cross carved more than 1,200 years ago. In this short walk we explore how myth and history overlap, from St Serf’s victory over the beast to the Dupplin Cross and its royal inscription. 

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What can a first impression reveal about an artwork that rewards slow looking?
 Sometimes the simplest response opens the most interesting door.

In this episode, I speak with Ally Wallace, an artist known for his observational drawings, animations, and explorations of everyday structures. His response to Mary Martin’s Wall Construction begins with instinct rather than theory, and this starting point leads into a wider reflection on how we meet abstract work for the first time.

Ally discusses the clarity and restraint in Martin’s approach, the way architectural form influences artistic thinking, and why certain works hold your attention without demanding it. His perspective brings a grounded, human quality to understanding Martin’s legacy: not just as a figure of constructivism, but as an artist whose work continues to move people quietly and directly.

This episode forms part of a wider series of conversations with artists, curators, and those connected to Mary Martin’s life and practice, each offering a different way into the ideas behind Wall Construction.

🎧 Listen now and explore the full series.

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What do we uncover when we look beyond the clean lines of an artwork and into the thinking that shaped it?
 Mary Martin’s work often appears minimal, but its foundations are anything but simple.

In this episode, I speak with Sam Gathercole, Senior Lecturer in Contextual and Theoretical Studies at London College of Communication, whose knowledge of British constructivism provides a clear and grounded way into understanding Martin’s practice. Sam situates her work within the wider post-war landscape, highlighting the intellectual rigour, structural clarity, and mathematical thinking that underpin her constructions.

We explore how Martin’s approach aligns with and diverges from the work of other British constructivists, the influence of architecture and spatial design, and the discipline required to achieve the sense of order in her reliefs and installations. Sam’s insights help reveal the depth behind the restraint: the quiet, thoughtful decisions that give Martin’s work its lasting impact.

This conversation forms part of a wider series exploring Mary Martin’s life, practice, and legacy through the voices of artists, curators, and those connected to her work.

🎧 Listen now and explore the full series.

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What does it mean for an artwork to stay relevant long after the moment it was created?
 Some pieces remain fixed in time; others continue to shift as new artists encounter them.

In this conversation, I speak with Toby Paterson, an award-winning visual artist from Glasgow, whose work draws deeply from architecture, modernism, and the visual structures of the built environment. His perspective offers a precise and insightful lens through which to explore Mary Martin’s Wall Construction, the piece at the centre of this series.

Toby reflects on his early encounters with Martin’s work and how her approach to structure, geometry, and spatial clarity continues to influence contemporary practice. We discuss the legacy of constructivism, the quiet radicalism in Martin’s use of form, and why Wall Construction still feels strikingly fresh, even decades after it was first installed.

This episode is part of a wider series featuring artists, curators, and those connected to Mary Martin’s life and practice. Together, these conversations build a fuller picture of the ideas, influences, and histories behind the work.

🎧 Listen now and explore the full series.

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What makes an artwork stick with you long after you first see it? 

For me, that artwork is Wall Construction by Mary Martin, tucked away in the Crush Hall at the University of Stirling.

This episode is a personal journey through that piece,  from the quiet anchor it became during my own student days, to the surprising family connection I later discovered between Mary Martin and my grandfather. 

Along the way, you’ll hear from artists and experts who bring new perspectives on Martin’s work and legacy:

• Sam Gathercole on Mary’s place in constructivism
• Paul Martin on the handmade quality behind his mother’s art
• Toby Paterson on rediscovering Martin’s relevance
• Ally Wallace on first impressions of Wall Construction
• Audrey Grant on being an artist in residence at Stirling 

Mary Martin may not be a household name, but her influence still resonates in art, architecture, and personal memory.

🎧 Join me as I walk through history, family, and the power of art to leave its mark.

For the following few months, I will be publishing the full interviews with all of the artists and people I interviewed, they are, Ally Wallace, Sam Gathercole, Paul Martin,  Toby Paterson, Audrey Grant, Sarah, Francesca Flowers (voiced by Zoe Jessica),  Sarah Bromage and Fiona Clason.

Image: Artwork by Mary Martin. Photo by Nicky 

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This week, Ryan and I sit down with Stuart, diagnosed with ADHD just six weeks ago, in his 60s.
 What follows is an open, honest, and sometimes raw conversation about what led him to seek a diagnosis later in life, how it’s changed the way he sees his past, and what life looks like now.

Alongside the laughs and the darker moments, we talk about masking, relationships, identity, and the strange relief of finally having language for things you’ve carried your whole life.

It’s real and vulnerable. It’s full of those “oh wow… same” moments.

Whether you’re newly diagnosed, diagnosed late, or still trying to figure yourself out, this one is for you.

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🧠 Created by Nicky | Sound design by Nicky

⚠️ Content may include references to mental health, trauma, suicide or ableism

#NeurodivergentVoices #RealTalkPodcast