The Crafts Council of Ireland Issue no.3
hairs are Many Splendid Things Please Be Seated displays the work of 23 studio furniture makers from the United States. Their chairs exhibit tremendous variety in materials, techniques and approaches but the common denominator is an emphasis in each piece on originality and on personal statement and all are involved in questions about the relationship between art and craft, the relationship between the usual function of furniture and the individual creativity of the furniture maker, and ultimately between art and utility. Diversity of style and interest in creative expression is general throughout the current studio furniture movement both in the makers and in their work, and it reflects the current changes taking place in the larger work of contemporary crafts as it moves closer to the economic and conceptual realm of fine art. Studio furniture, or art furniture, can be traced back to the late nineteenth century Arts and Crafts movement. During this period, Arts and Crafts advocates attempted to reform design and its relationship to everyday life They stressed form, function and the appropriateness of materials in the belief that beautifully made hand crafted objects utilized on a daily basis would impart an uplifting moral tone to community life. Implicit in their approach was the assumption that simplicity, the 'natural', was morally preferable. This perspective was given impetus during the early forties when several craftsmen, reacting against the pervasive machine aesthetic of Bauhaus-inspired industrial design, turned to woodworking, focusing on organic forms which would express the inherent qualities of the material.
personal feeling and interaction with materials in the pursuit of an artistic idea. These makers are forming chairs that create an atmosphere of rich experience and mood while making a strong aesthetic statement.
These furniture makers, unlike contemporaneous furniture designers, rejected industrial techniques and mass production, maintaining individual studios where they focused on making one-of-a-kind pieces by hand. The chairs in this exhibition demonstrate how much the world of crafts has changed in recent years. Craft is now a serious artistic pursuit which result in objects which are a part of everyday life. These chairs are to be sat in, walked around, related to, even as they insert themselves into our vision as complex multidimensional personalities. Ruskin wrote: "Fine art is that in which the hand, the head and the heart of man go together." These chairs come close to fulfiling Ruskin's criteria. Each evolves out of the artist's
Please Be Seated is a collection of contemporary seating design including pieces by Wendell Castle, Stephen Daniell, John Dunnigan, Robert Ebendorf, Wharton Esherick, Peter Handler, Ted Harlan, Susie Krasnican, Jack Larimore, Michael Larson, John Lewis, Daniel Mack, Thomas Mann, Stephen Perrin, Susan Pfeiffer, Peter Pierobon, John Scofield, Tommy Simpson, Jay Stanger, Thomas Stender, Lynn B. Sweet and Howard Werner.
rchitectural Ceramics
forthcoming Exhibition
Gus Mabelson is best known in Ireland as the trainer and coordinator of the Crafts Council's Pottery Skills Course in Thomastown. For the twelve years before he took up this role he ran his own workshop in England producing salt-
October 15 will see the launch of a major exhibition of traditional Irish boats at the Crafts Council Gallery. The exhibition, which continues until November 21 will not be confined to the gallery space but will occupy the entire Powerscourt Townhouse with boats suspended from the ceiling and displayed in the public areas of the centre. The exhibition will have an immediate visual appeal but is also intended to have considerable educational impact. It centres not only on the boats but on the methods of their building and will be accompanied by illustrations of some of the boats in the process of construction. These boats which were once a familiar sight are now increasingly rare, some are hardly made at all and the coracle is found only in museum collections.
glazed domestic stoneware and large-scale architectural commissions. In the photograph below are two slipdecorated planters Gus produced recently, using extruded slabs as "coils", working on a potter's wheel and using a wooden template. They will be exhibited in the Council Gallery this autumn. The kiln below is used to fire these monumental pots. It was built for around ÂŁ500 and has a packing space of 30 cubic feet. The wire mesh and welded steel frame is lined with ceramic fibre and with three burner ports it is easily able to fire to 1300 QC. Details of its construction can be obtained from Gus Mabelson
The Greencastle Yawl, the Kerry currach, the Rosslare hunting punt complete with its pole and the huge punt gun which was ramrod loaded and used for wildfowling, Corrib lake boats and cots from the Nore and Slaney will be amongst the featured boats. These boats have principally gone into decline due to changes in the wider fabric in society. Some have ceased to be made because the rivers they were intended to fish have become too polluted to supported a fisherman's livelihood. Other factors in decline include the ease of construction of fiberglass boats which have in some cases made the wooden version obsolete. The exhibition is set to have an inspirational value for other craftspeople and during the exhibition the gallery will show work relating to boats, lakes and the sea by makers of ceramics, glass and wood.
alendar of Events Terres de Provence Ceramists of the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Aiur are organising an Exhibition of European Community Ceramists. Date proposed is for the second half of 1993. The theme is 'Quotidien Domestique' domestic ware, parallel to this is an exhibition entitled 'Decor de la Maison', wall pieces and sculptural based objects. 3 colour slides or a catalogue of work to be submitted by 3019192 For further information contact: Jerome Plat, President, TERRES DE PROVENCE, Place Rossetti, F-06300 Nice Tel 33193 62 17 09 Silversmithing, 'A Sparkling Party' September-November 1993 To be held in Antwerp, Cultural Capital of Europe in 1993, by V1Z0 (Flanders Institute for Small and Medium Enterprises) Crafts Department. It has been invited to organize a silversmithing forum. This forum comprises of an international exhibition, two workshops and a symposium. CV, visual documentation relating to recent work must be submitted by 3 May 1993. For further information contact: Johan Valcke, V1ZO (Flanders institute for small and Medium Enterprises), Crafts Department, Bischoffsheimlaan, 23 'Orion', 1000 Brussels, Belgium 'Flair of the Crafts' Annual Exhibition during 'Home & Craft' in Hall 3 at the Munich Fairgrounds (Nov 28-Dec 5 1992) Works invited are those on the theme of interiors and original in design. For further information contact: Handwerkskammer Fur Munchen und oberbayern, Ref. Messen & Ausstellungen, Max-Joseph-Sir. 4 D- 8000 Munchen 2 Tel 0049-89-5119-241 (EXT) No Clothes, Jewellery or Dolls
German Market Debrief Thursday 22 October 6.00-8.00 p.m. Led by Terry Kelly and Any a Von Gossein. It will comprise of a presentation followed by a group discussion. Areas covered will include description of the German market, response to Irish work at the Cologne Fair, plus quality offinish, importance of function and promotional material. Attendance is free. All interested should contact: Margaret Jones Tel 01-6797368 or 01-679738314 Fletcher Challenge Ceramic Award 1993 Selection for the exhibition is by slide submission up to three views of one work or one group. Selection of the awards is made by the judge from the exhibition works in New Zealand in early May. For further information contact: Fletcher Challenge Ceramics Award 1993 PO Box 33-1425, Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand Tel & Fax 0064-9-630 8581
American Quilt Festival 12- 16 May 1993 Entrants must be members of the 'Quilt Connection' For further information contact: The Great American Quilt Festival 4 Museum of Folkart, 61 West 62nd Street New York, N.Y.I 0023 Fiberart International '93 is organised by Fiberarts Guild. Slide deadline is 1212193. Jurors are Nancy Crow, Gerhardt Knodel and Linda Melropolous. For a prospectus write to: L.S.A.S.E. Lee Rinehart,Registrar, 4608 Caroll Street, Pittsburgh, PA. 15224 or telephone Patricia Kennedy-Zafred (412) 733-5986
Crafts Council Events Trade Show: Plan Expo 15, 16, 17, September At The Point Depot Plan Expo is the major forum in Ireland for the building and construction trade attended by architects and interior designers. The Crafts Council's stand is directed at clients in a position to commission interior work and who may not be aware of the range of excellent work available. The show is not open to members of the public, but members of the trade can obtain tickets to attend from Eurofairs. Tel 01-295818112 Crafts Council stand at WOOD Ireland 18, 19, 20 September, University College Dublin. WOOD IRELAND is organised by the Society of Irish Foresters with the primary objective of promoting the use of Irish wood and to demonstrate the potential for as wide an array of end uses as possible. The Crafts Council's stand will show a variety of wood crafts, including t'jys, furniture and table top objects. The Woodturners Guild, Letterfrack School of Furniture making and Design and the Furniture Gallery will also be participating in the show. This exhibition is open to the public from 1.00 pm to 7.00pm Friday 18th September and from 10.00 am to 5.00pm on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th September.
Crafts Council Announcements Management Committee The Minister for Industry and Commerce appoints five members to the Board of the Crafts Council, including the Chair and representatives from the IDA and An Bord Tra'chtdla. In July Mike Feeney was re-appointed as the IDA representative and new members were welcomed to the Board. Mr Brendan Flood (Manager, Eastern Region, who replaces Mr Anthony Courtney as the representative for An Bord Trdchtdla.) Mrs Hilary Pratt (Director, Avoca Handweavers.) Mrs Maureen Cairnduff (journalist and writer on arts and crafts for Irish and overseas publications.) Mr.Fionnlan Gogarty resigned from the Management Committee last May, after many years service to the Board, for which he is warmly thanked.
Craft Workshop Exhibitions Office Furniture Designed by Merrywood Sept lst-25lh Textiles with a Twist Sept 28th-Oct 30th Christmas Show Nov5th-Dec 24th Exhibition Vivienne Foley Porcelain at 'European Modem Art' Gallery, 5 Clare St D.2. 13th-31th Oct. Showcase Dublin '93 The Irish Craft, Gift and Fashion Fair. There has been a great level of interest in Showcase 1993 with the Craft Village and the Balcony being fully booked. This is the first year that the Craft village has been booked out so early. British Crafts Council is holding an International crafts fair in May in Amsterdam in conjunction with the Dutch forum. This will be an annual event. Details available from Morris Latham, Crafts Council, 44A Pentonville Rd. London Nl 9BY TEL 071 -278-7700 Craft Potters Society of Ireland Workshop - at the Yacht Club, Rosses Point, Sligo 19, 20 September 1992 The Workshop will be lead by John Pollex and Billy Adams. For further information contact: Joan Doran, 70 Merrion Rd. Dublin 4
Studio Space Available The Craft Council of Ireland is offering a Printed Textiles Studio to a suitable textile artist at the Crescent Workshop Kilkenny. Those interested should contact: Emer Ferran, The Crescent Workshop, Castle Yard, Kilkenny. Tel 056 61804162734 'Textiles-Texture and Technique' The Irish Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers annual exhibition this year will take place in the Bank of Ireland Armoury Arts Centre, Foster Place, Dublin 2 (Nov 16th-30th) .To be opened officially by Imogen Stuart on 13th Nov at 6pm. All entries must be in for assessment by 5pm on 9th Nov to one of the following venues: Southside Cepta Me Guinn, 31 Ballymace Green, Rathfarnham, D. 14.Tel 944247. Northside Joan Yorke, 61 Brian Road, Marino, D.3. Tel 331697. Postal Entries: Magda Rubalcava, Corrig House, Puck's Castle Lane, Shankhill, Co Dub. Tel 2822476 Fragile works, or large pieces contact: Mary O'Rourke, Glenasmole, Dub 24. Tel 526694.
For Sale Radcliff R84 Throwing wheel single phase wheel head 10 inches in diameter, Electric ÂŁ450 O.N.O. For further information contact:061-416082.
Seminar For Artists dcArchitects on Church Architecture 17/10/92 Enquiries to Irish Institute of Pastoral Liturgy, College Street, Carlow. Master Class with Alison Erridge and Allie Kay An intensive 7 day residential textiles workshop in February 1993 to examine personal needs and possibilities of direction with individual tuition and group discussion. Limited to 8 participants. Please write for further details to Allie Kay, Williamstadt House, Whitegate, Co Clare.
Entire Contents of Ceramic Workshop including: Kiln-10 cubic ft 3 phase with Micro 4 Digital Control, Blunger-5 Gal 3 phase, Electric mixer; Wood lathe; Casting table (Homemade); Shelving; Tables; White earthenware clay 25Kg; Scrap Cast Clay; Transparent Earthenware Glaze-1 Drum. For further information contact: Peggy Me Kenna 01-720022.
All information is published in good faith but without research, so please check carefully before committing yourself to work or financial outlay Please forward all further information to Emer Ferran The copy date for the next issue is 16 October and the print date is 22 October 1992
1 he Management Committee 1992
rafts Council Staff HQ Chief Executive Christine Ross Craft Development Officer Sean O'Farrell Administrative Assistant Clare Brennan Administrative Officer Margaret Jones Gallery Administrator Margaret McAnallen Exhibitions Assistant Greg McAteer Gallery Assistants Deirdre Barry Siobhan Me Donald
Chair Dr. John McGuire Vice Chair Ms. Mel Bradley Mr. Michael Feeney Mr. Barry Hurley Mr. Michael McCrory Mr. Rudolf Heltzel Dr. David Shaw-Smith Mr. Liam O'Neill Ms. Angela Forte Ms. Eveline Greif Mr. Brendan Flood Ms. Hilary Pratt Mrs. Maureen Cairnduff
The Crescent Workshop Education and Training Officer Leslie Reed Supervisor/Information Officer Emer Ferran Administrative Assistant Nuala McGrath Thomastown Pottery Skills Course Trainer Gus Mabelson
The Crafts Council of Ireland Designed in the Crescent Workshop by Mairead Brennan Typography by Laura Walsh
Kilkenny The Crescent Workshop Castle Yard Kilkenny Tel 056 61804 or 62734 Fax 056 63754
Dublin
HQ Gallery Powerscourt Townhouse Centre South William Street, Dublin 2 Tel 01 679 7383 or 679 7368 Fax 01 679 9197