Made in the Middle - Pt 2

Over the weekend I posted about the glass on show at Made in the Middle at the MAC.  However, that only covered three of the 35 artists / makers exhibited, so I think it's only fair to add some non-glassy highlights.  From a personal point of view, I was really pleased to get the chance to see work by both Norman Cherry and Amy Twigger Holroyd - so I've picked them as the focus for this follow-up post. 

My interest in Norman Cherry comes from his links with the University of Lincoln - he became Dean of the Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design there a couple of years after I graduated, so I was naturally keen to see his jewellery on display. 

I rarely wear jewellery, and don't spend as much time as I should looking into cabinets.  A shame, as when I do, I'm regularly floored by the works of small-scale precision you find inside.  This is perhaps to be expected from someone who was Professor at Birmingham's School of Jewellery. But I also felt an affinity for the pieces themselves - as they rely on whispered geometry (so subtle that it's almost become natural). And although they are six entirely individual pieces, they also have a shared language which allows them to speak together as a whole. A skill to be envied.

This link should take you to a catalogue which includes larger images of a few of the pieces on display. 

I've had a bit of a soft spot for Amy Twigger Holroyd since I heard her speak at a Designer Maker West Midlands seminar last year.  She managed to enthuse an audience full of makers with her personal approach to marketing...for which much respect is due! 

While she certainly makes her own covetable knitwear, the work on display focused on her "pattern blagging" and "stitch hacking" techniques.  I hadn't known about this side of her work, and am a big fan of the stitch hacking.  This is where second-hand garments are altered (and I'd definitely say upcycled) by unpicking and then reconfiguring the stitches.  This was used to add text to sweaters (pictured above) - and worked well for me, as the technique subtly plays with texture, light and shade.  As these are adapted, rathered than fully designed pieces, the hacking was cleverly used to raise questions of authorship.

Amy was also involved with the Apprenticeships in the Making scheme which Craftspace ran prior to the exhibition. There was some brilliant (and sometimes touching) footage of the four apprentices, who'd worked with Amy and two other artists in the exhibition: Jennifer Collier and Kevin Grey. Amy had enthused one of her apprentices so much that he'd asked for his own knitting machine!

I've still only skimmed the surface of the work on show at Made in the Middle - which feels very unfair, when there was so much talent on display.  To relieve my guilt, can you please make sure to go and see the rest!  Made in the Middle is on at the MAC until 15 April 2012, and then goes on a tour of other venues in the Midlands (Click this link for tour details).

Made in the Middle

It’s been a wonderful day in the West Midlands – peerless blue skies, and a feeling that Spring is definitely just around the corner.

While the boyfriend scurried down to London to watch his team, I enjoyed a more laid-back afternoon - taking in an exhibition at the MAC (Midlands Art Centre). Outside, Cannon Hill Park was throng, with lots of people out enjoying the sunshine – and long queues at the ice cream van (remember it’s February!). It was almost a shame to go inside the arts centre.

Made in the Middle doesn’t look jammed with work: it has a simple, clean layout. But it actually manages to pack in work from 35 artists / makers. I had a cake break after my initial look – and when I came back, found work that I hadn’t even seen the first time round! So if you get chance to visit, definitely give yourself a decent chunk of time.

The exhibition is run by Craftspace every three years, and it aims to showcase the best in craft from the Midlands.  It therefore covers all craft disciplines.  I’ll report on my other highlights in a couple of days. But first and foremost, the glass!

There were three glass artists on show: Stuart Akroyd, Charlotte Clark and Vanessa Cutler.

Stuart Akroyd works with hot glass techniques. I regularly see his work in gallery shops – but it tends to be small-scale objects, like perfume bottles.  So this was a great chance to see the larger-scale side of his practice. First up was a wall work, Shoal, where adapted "plate" forms have been grouped against a white background – with the colour and cold working throwing shadow and colour onto the wall.  A great addition to the exhibition was an area where you could pick up and examine elements and materials from people’s work – and a piece from Shoal was included in this section.

Also on display, was a pink and green charger – which was just singing: the lights were casting a beautiful pool of colour onto the plinth beneath, and picking out the patterning.

By contrast, Charlotte Clark’s cast work deserved to be outside in the sunshine. All the pieces showed off great control of texture and colour - but I don’t think the lighting did them justice. Compare my image with those on her website (ok, I know it's not the best snap, but still...) This is often a problem with three-dimensional cast glass in galleries…it cries out for a stronger (dare I say it, natural) light - which might be the ruination of other work. This is definitely a potential problem to ponder for my own work.

Vanessa Cutler’s work, however, was shown to full effect: two pieces exploring creative use of water-jet cutting skills. In these pieces, however, the water-jet has not been used to cut the glass. Instead, it has been used like a needle: to penetrate the surface and into the depth of the glass at points on a regular grid. Each penetration looked like the ghost of a nail. At first glance, you could be turned off: the precision says machine, rather than maker. But for me, there is artistry in those edges: the thick glass chosen gives you an alternative view into the pieces – showing off myriad reflections and repeats which are in stark contrast to the peaceful surface grid pattern.

Well that covers the glass portion of the exhibition - more on my other favourites in a couple of days!

British Glass Foundation

Having posted about those fantastic Owls at Broadfield House Glass Museum, I suddently thought it might be worth a quick post to let people know about the work of the British Glass Foundation. 

The organisation was set up in response to the threatened closure of Broadfield House - and so aims to make more people aware of the outstanding glass collections and archives held by Dudley Council.  But the Foundation is also interested and involved in the wider glass world - both heritage and contemporary.  So, if you have an interest in glass, click this link to access their website: British Glass Foundation.

Back to the Future

I've had some great news this month: my proposal has been selected for an exhibition at Broadfield House Glass Museum - "Back to the Future".  The pressure's on, as the exhibition will take place during the International Festival of Glass this summer - so there should be lots of glass-obsessed visitors!

Back to the Future will celebrate 400 years - yes, that's four hundred - of glassmaking in Stourbridge (in the West Midlands).  Contemporary glass artists were asked to propose work inspired by the historic glass collections held by Dudley Council - which runs Broadfield House.












If you're close enough to visit the Museum, I'd recommend it - there really is something for everyone.  One of my favourite finds during this project was the cabinet of glass owls - the "Wilkie Cooper Collection".  The pictures show just a tiny taster!  I was definitely tempted to use them as the inspiration for my proposal - but went in an entirely different direction.  More on that another time.

Heart of Glass - now at Bilston Craft Gallery

And I thought that the beginning of the year would be quiet...doh!  It's more than halfway through February before I make my first post of the year...

First up, some exhibition news.  Chance Moments, my book-based work, is currently part of an exhibition - Heart of Glass - in the First Floor Gallery at Bilston Craft Gallery.  The picture above (image: Simon Bruntnell) shows one of the five handmade books.  It's a joint exhibition with three other glass makers: Vic Bamforth, George Jackson and Jo Newman, and runs until 10 March. Like me, they all have studio spaces at the Ruskin Glass Centre.  It was great to see the exhibition come together - as we all use glass in such different ways.

Bilston's Main Gallery is showing an exhibition called Kitchen Garden so there is plenty to see if you get chance to visit.

The First Floor Gallery is a great space, which Bilston Gallery hires out to local (ie West Midlands-based) artist / makers.  There's plenty of wall space, lots of light and some well-designed plinths. And a big plus: the gallery were really helpful during set-up - providing drinks, a toolkit (which proved useful even though we'd brought our own) and invaluable assistance.  We'd never had it so good!  If you'd like to use the space yourself, further information is on the Bilston Craft Gallery website.