Made in the Middle New works in contemporary craft from the West Midlands
Welcome to Made in the Middle, the sixth in this series of touring exhibitions that provide a platform for the work of the region’s makers. This exhibition has been developed as a partnership between Craftspace and Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, the launch venue. This partnership has also enabled the development of a significant action research project, At Home, which explores commissioning craft and is included within the exhibition. The 37 makers in the exhibition exhibit the qualities of thinking and making, talent and skill, that make craft an enjoyable and stimulating media. The exhibition and catalogue are structured into thematic sections. These provide a series of different lenses through which to look at craft and understand the investment that goes into its making. It helps us appreciate and enjoy the diversity of practices represented within the West Midlands. The At Home project approaches craft through different eyes. Seventeen Rugby residents worked with makers to commission craft for their homes. Their individual and deeply personal responses to their commissions suggest the infinite variety of ways in which we connect to craft and its capacity to enrich our lives. Andy Horn and Nikki Grange
Made in the Middle is a collaboration between Craftspace and Rugby Art Gallery and Museum together with leading regional galleries.
As Craftspace enters its 21st year, this is a key moment to reflect on its journey from a West Midlands regional provider and developer to an organisation with a national role. This includes initiating programmes of work which stimulate critical thinking and understanding of contemporary crafts in the widest social and cultural contexts. Exhibitions and projects are underpinned by an action research based method of working which develops models for collaboration, audience and maker development. As an independent and self directed agency Craftspace has the ability to work organically, take risks and develop partnerships which encourage innovation. Made in the Middle is a recurring feature in our programme, developed each time as a partnership with a regional gallery. Making skills have a currency beyond the activity of selling product through retail. Made in the Middle seeks to widen markets, skills and appreciation for making. Investing in high quality interactions and exchanges between makers, audiences and organisations results in enlarging creative capacity across society. This exhibition provides a test bed for working these ideas through as well as enabling experimentation with display and interpretation. With the diversity of making and practice in the West Midlands region, it also provides a focus for seminars and discussion around maker career development. This time Made in the Middle has also been a vehicle for devising a regional discussion forum for curators. The At Home action research project whose outcomes and reflections informed and form part of the exhibition exemplifies Craftspace’s approach to widening participation. In Made in the Middle you will find an exhibition, a resource and an experience which resonates with different voices. To this end I would like to thank co-curators Andy Horn from Craftspace and Nikki Grange from Rugby Art Gallery and Museum for their shared vision, expertise, boundless energy and commitment to process. Deirdre Figueiredo Director, Craftspace 1
Introduction One of the remarkable things about Britain, given its diminutive size, is its astonishing regional and local diversity. Each county has its own distinctive building materials and architectural flavour. Each town has its own peculiar accent and – in the past – its own specialised manufactures and trades. We still live in the shadow of the industrial revolution. Apart from geographical factors such as landscape and climate, British towns and cities were largely shaped by their manufacturing prowess, particularly in the Midlands and the North. As a design historian, the phrase ‘Made in the Middle’ immediately makes me think of the applied arts. For me, Stoke-on-Trent is the Potteries; Kidderminster equates with carpets; Stourbridge is the Kingdom of Crystal; Bilston is synonymous with enamels; and Birmingham conjures up the Jewellery Quarter. Even though many of these once world-renowned industries have now declined – and in some cases become extinct – the universities in these localities (Wolverhampton, Staffordshire and Birmingham) still maintain specialist expertise in particular disciplines, while local museums, such as Broadfield House Glass Museum in Kingswinford, remind us of glories past. Today, however, it is to entrepreneurial craftspeople, rather than industrialists, that we look for our creative salvation. Made in the Middle focuses on this fast-changing sector. Thirty years ago craft was a byword for rural escapism, but now contemporary makers are increasingly savvy and astute. Whereas in the past craftspeople set themselves up in opposition to industry, now there is a growing fascination - nostalgia even – amongst makers with endangered local trades. Today it is not uncommon to find craftspeople consciously incorporating historical references and industrial imagery into their work. Some have even assumed the role of cultural archaeologists. John Grayson’s witty reinterpretations of classic 18th century Bilston enamel boxes inject new life and topicality into this long-defunct West Midlands industrial craft. Ceramicist Joanne Ayre grew up in the Potteries and worked for a while as a demonstrator at the Gladstone Pottery Museum in Stoke. Through this job she gained new insights – both technical and sociohistorical – into the ceramics industry, including its darker side. In Mould Cultivation she explores the link between industrial malpractice and disease. The piece takes the form of a ceramic version of a plaster mould for producing a slip-cast jug, but growing in the mould is a lump of spongy dust-clogged tissue evoking silicosis lung. The former glassmaking heartland of Stourbridge continues to inspire contemporary glassmakers. Stuart Garfoot’s vessels, although unmistakably contemporary, display a high level of awareness of ornately decorated Victorian Stourbridge glass. The glassmaking duo Sheldon Cooney have chosen the Staffordshire Moorlands as their base, giving them ready access to specialist skills at nearby Stourbridge. Their squeezed Bulldog pendant lamps and contorted Unruly Limb table lamps adopt surreal fantastical forms but have ultra-practical applications. 2
While some makers thrive by exploring the traditions of one particular discipline, others are excited by crossing boundaries and tackling topical issues. Maverick artist Kate Pemberton exploits textiles as a tool for social commentary, although, for her, textiles are merely one weapon in a much more extensive armoury. Exploiting the incongruity between traditional craft and contemporary technology, she wittily incorporates computer iconography (cursors, pixels and MS-DOS script) into her cross-stitched panels. She also embroiders samplers with ‘inappropriate’ motifs, such as bombs, subverting conventional notions of female domesticity. Purely conceptual pieces, such as rosettes emblazoned with three optional slogans, Upper Class, Middle Class and Working Class, also form part of her oeuvre. Visual humour – overturning expectations in unexpected ways – is often used by makers as a tactic for engaging contemporary audiences. Furniture design duo Pottinger and Cole have done this brilliantly with their Hanger chair – a strange looking, but beautifully crafted piece of multifunctional design made of oak. The seat back rises up in the shape of a coat hanger, while the seat incorporates a drawer. Born out of observation, the chair is highly practical and down to earth. In real life we all dump our jackets on the back of chairs, so this design could operate equally effectively in a public hall or at home. Hybrid objects combining several materials and making multiple allusions seem to be increasingly popular with contemporary makers. Betty Pepper’s faux jewellery references traditional metal filigree work, lockets and cameos (à la Wedgwood or Matthew Boulton), but conjured up through the unlikely medium of embroidery. To complicate matters further, Pepper then encases her trinkets in specially excavated chambers in hefty old books. Her multi-layered narratives demand considerable audience engagement but, like complex plot lines in a novel, are rewarding to unpick. British makers are rightly admired in international circles for their originality and individuality. This creative fertility, I would argue, springs from the diversity of our culture. Made in the Middle confirms that fresh and distinctive new voices continue to emerge from the West Midlands in the post-industrial era. Happily though, not at the expense of traditional skills, which seem to be valued all the more highly, the more they come under threat.
Lesley Jackson Writer, Curator and Design Historian
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A Making Career
Bridget Drakeford
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Made in the Middle illustrates the work of makers who are at different points in their careers. Some have recently started out and are developing their initial ideas and skills. Others have many years of experience – their work reflects the investment of years of a creative practice. We might define a craft career as vocational – a life path that is formed through interests, passion, natural talent, and a sense of individual calling. This is often in response to a strong personal connection to a particular material, technique or genre of craft such as jewellery, ceramics or textiles. Craft careers are highly individualistic – there is no typical craft career. Makers tend to develop their own career paths fitted to their interests. They often work alone and are self-sufficient in their outlook, skills and needs. Their breadth of interest can include ideas found within other cultures and their inspiration is often refreshed through travel. Likewise many makers exhibit and occasionally work abroad.
Bridget Drakeford has been designing and making pottery since 1977 and describes herself as a self-taught maker. Having learnt the basics at evening class, she has developed her making practice through trial and error with the advice and support of other potters. While she may not have had the structure of a college or university to guide her, Bridget feels the freedom of learning independently allowed her to find her own voice early in her career. For most of her career she has approached ceramics as part of a sustainable lifestyle choice. She balances working in the studio with working in the garden, growing and rearing food to eat. In the late 1970s Bridget lived in Galloway in South West Scotland, producing domestic stoneware. She now lives in Herefordshire, where she has her studio. Bridget currently works only with porcelain. She aims to achieve ‘balance, simplicity and function’ in her work, inspired by classic shapes in European and Oriental ceramics. She has won prizes in the Mashiko Ceramics Competition in Japan and the World Ceramic Exposition in Korea. In 2005 an Arts Council Award supported a study tour and exhibition in Japan. She describes this experience as ‘inspirational’ and is developing new work.
Bridget Drakeford
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Born in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, Sally Greaves-Lord studied textiles at the Royal College of Art in London. She says that her fascination with textiles began at an early age: ‘I have always liked cloth. I’m not a collector of many things, but I do find myself attracted to textiles of all kinds, functional and otherwise. I have a collection of scarves, tea towels, aprons, handkerchiefs and other functional fabrics.’ After graduating she quickly established a career as a freelance textile designer as well as selling her own work. She is particularly interested in the strong tradition of use and value of textiles in Japan. For instance, she is inspired by the use of textiles in Japanese cinema, particularly by the director Akira Kurosawa: ‘All those amazing Japanese banners are quite stunning. They are both a call to arms and an expression of something other-worldly – sensuous and billowing.’ In the 1980s she worked as Creative Director for the fashion designer Issey Miyake. This role included managing the design and presentation of his London shops. In the 1990s she moved from London to Yorkshire in order to focus on her textile work. Her own work is where she says her ‘ideas are born and develop.’ These ideas feed into commissions for interior spaces where designs are developed for different surfaces and materials. She says about her work: ‘I describe the beginnings to almost every piece of my work as coming from drawings and observations of natural and man-made landscapes. Any landscape holds a resonance for me. Cities and countryside, the sea and inland views. Even the landscape of my own home.’
Sally Greaves-Lord
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I have worked as a maker from the moment I left college although I also work as a designer using different skills. Every piece of work I make whether for a commission or part of my own collection, or a design for flooring or glass or graphics, plays a part in my development. From early on, I felt an urgency to find out what I was here to do or make or be. I was drawn to textiles, a course which seemed free of many of the constraints found in other disciplines. I became impatiently engrossed in my work, which for years was my entire life. The only way I feel I stand a chance of finding what I need in my lifetime is to work fast and get through lots of stuff and see where it leads me. During my career I have also been involved in the fashion business, mainly with Issey Miyake, in a variety of ways and although it may seem outside of my main concerns I found it enthralling, enlivening and enriching. I am eager to work with anyone with whom I sense a shared intention. Relatively recently the ‘Concept Thing’ has wheedled it’s way into the Craft and Applied Art world and we are asked to explain not only how we do it but also why we do it, what it means and from whence it came. Sometimes even before we have begun. As if we could know all those things. As if our work is somehow an illustration of an idea. Sometimes we can say something, but how deadening to make a piece of work, having it fully formed and designed and indeed understood from the outset or even afterwards. The only meaningful things I know about a piece of work I make is if it has a certain sort of truth and when it is finished. And I can see if it is alive. Or I can see if I was alive when I made it. I only make work that has to be made. Work that is urging to be made. Each form, line, colours and textures all have to be necessary, none surplus to requirements. It would be impossible for me to do it purely to make a living. Or just to look pleasing. Surprisingly, more recently I have realised that I cannot imagine making work that no one wanted or appreciated. I must have followed this path as a maker, artist, craftsman mostly because I sensed that within it I would have freedom; freedom to be myself. There is no separation between my work and the rest of my life. There is great camaraderie in recognising similarities between myself and others working creatively in different fields. I am constantly looking for liveliness or simply, aliveness.
Sally Greaves-Lord 2006 7
Shivani Patel
Dena Bagi
People become makers through different career routes and at different stages of life. Some are self-taught and others graduate from college and university courses. Increasingly makers, such as recent graduates John Moore, Shivani Patel and Dena Bagi, identify their interests and develop their initial ideas within the structure of craft, design and materials based college and university courses. They face many challenges when leaving – the ongoing development and refinement of their making skills, recognition for their work, financial viability. Access to facilities and support from organisations and individuals is often significant in supporting makers when they leave college: Shivani undertook a residency with Alloy Jewellers in Hereford, Dena accesses facilities provided by studios such as the National Glass Centre in Sunderland.
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Rosamonde Ingram
Ranbir Kaur
Rosamonde Ingram graduated from the University of Wolverhampton in 1999 with a first class degree in ceramics and printmaking. She developed her profile as a maker through selling in galleries and participating in ceramics festivals. Alongside making her own work, she has built up extensive teaching experience, working with schools and communities throughout Warwickshire. Ranbir Kaur came to making through a varied career, including working as a television presenter for crafts in India. In 2006 she was awarded the Hind Rattan Award from the Indian Government for her support in sustaining Indian crafts. She is particularly known for rangoli, floorbased patterns, often created to celebrate occasions such as festivals. Her textile work draws upon traditional techniques, materials and imagery gathered during regular trips to India.
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Acknowledgements Made in the Middle is a partnership between Craftspace and Rugby Art Gallery and Museum. We would like to thank the staff of both organisations for their support including: Craftspace: Deirdre Figueiredo, Linda Strain, Lisa Falaschi and Hazel Townsend. Rugby: Wendy Parry, Sue Smith, Jessica Hartshorn, Sam Berry and David Newell. We would like to thank all the exhibitors for their support and time. We would also like to thank the three invited makers, Ndidi Ekubia, Sally Greaves-Lord and the partnership of Jim Partridge and Liz Walmsley. Exhibition curation: Andy Horn, Craftspace and Nikki Grange, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum Exhibition selectors: Catherine Hough, glass maker; Lesley Jackson, writer, curator and design historian; Mah Rana, jeweller; Jackie Lee, Crafts Officer, Arts Council England West Midlands; Emma Daker, Bilston Craft Gallery and Louise Izod, Artworks-mk. Catalogue contributors: Lesley Jackson, Sally Greaves–Lord and Kate McIntyre. Catalogue photography: Andy Kruczek. At Home photography: Chris Smart. Other photographs courtesy of the makers, Matthew Partington and Michaela McMillan. Catalogue design: Lionart. Catalogue print: Menzies Nunn.
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For the exhibition: Exhibition design by electricwig, the design partnership of Tim Denton and Johanna van Daalen. Exhibition video, produced by The National Video and Electronic Archives for the Crafts, at the University of the West of England, Bristol. The video was managed and directed by Matthew Partington. Additional thanks to Bob Prince, Dave Brookfield and Ben Atkins. The interviewed makers are Bridget Drakeford, Ndidi Ekubia and Sheldon Cooney. Exhibition tour administration: Linda Strain, Lisa Falaschi and Lisa Travers. This exhibition has been made possible through a grant from the National Touring Programme, Arts Council England. A national crafts symposium at Staffordshire University is being developed for 2007. See www.craftspace.co.uk for further details. Made in the Middle is a national touring exhibition. For details of the tour and venues see: www.craftspace.co.uk
Published in England by Craftspace Š Craftspace and the authors 2006 ISBN 0 9526832 8 8