Making Moves II
Ruth Spaak
Sediment
Press Area
Making Moves II
Birmingham Press Launch, 3rd December 2012, 5-6pm
Moor Street Station, Queensway, Birmingham B4 7UL
Filming, photo and interview opportunities.
Taking craft to the community
Making Moves: Creating Futures for Craft
From this December, 3 unusual venues, including a city train station, a community centre and the atrium of the local iconic School of Jewellery, will host Making Moves, a free touring exhibition of new contemporary craft work created by makers and community groups in response to nine residencies across the West Midlands. The first venue in Birmingham is Moor Street Station where the exhibition will be on show until 3rd January.
“Commuters will see a range of contemporary craft inspired by places in Birmingham and the West Midlands. There’s beautiful digital embroidery by Birmingham artist Karina Thompson referencing Matthew Boulton and the Lunar Society and Ruth Spaak’s new ceramic sculpture inspired by Spode.” Emma Daker, Exhibition Organiser, Craftspace.
Making Moves is a West Midlands craft development initiative led by Staffordshire County Council and Craftspace where mid-career makers, including glass, textile, jewellery and ceramic artists, ran craft residencies in non-traditional arts venues such as a hospital, an empty shop and a visitor’s centre in a park.
The makers were given the challenge of using the unconventional space as a source of inspiration and used the time for research and development towards new work which resulted in the commissioned pieces for the touring exhibition. Supported by recent graduates, the makers also engaged closely with local communities, offering high quality experiences of craft and the opportunity to learn unusual making skills and approaches.
“Birmingham City Council Culture Commissioning Service have been proud to be a local partner with Birmingham City University, especially the School of Jewellery and School of Art & Design of the Making Moves project. We have managed two Making Moves residencies for local artists Karina Thompson and graduate artist Lauren Crawford in Soho Museum working with Asian Womens Textile group. For the jewellery designer maker Miranda Sharpe, the opportunity to work with award winning silversmith Andrew Macgowan was instrumental in her making the leap from jeweller to silverware 3d designer. Graduate artist Amy Logan and Miranda worked with students from Holte School in Lozells to inspire their jewellery and design work.”
To find out more about the project visit www.makingmoves.org and the Makers’ Blog www.makingmoves.posterous.com
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Shelanu
Shelanu: Women’s Craft Collective new range on show:
Saturday 24th November: Barber Institute of Fine Arts Scandinavian Christmas Craft Fair and Family Day. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TS, 11am – 4pm
Saturday 8th December: mac marketplace Contemporary Craft Fair. mac Birmingham, Cannon Hill Park, BirminghamB12 9QH, 11am-5pm
Shelanu: Women’s Craft Collective
Showcasing a new range inspired by migration.
Following a summer of exhibitions Shelanu, Craftspace’s women’s craft collective, have been busy completing their Migrating Birds range, ready for three Christmas Craft Fairs in Birmingham. The Collective are participating in The Barber Institute Fair on 24th November, mac marketplace Contemporary Craft Fair on the 8th December, as well as a fair in the offices of Ernst and Young.
The Migrating Birds range of jewellery is inspired by the women’s experiences of migrating to Birmingham. Migrating Birds was created with the support of Rita Patel, a successful jeweller. Following individual design development Shelanu members selected their favourite bird designs to be re-worked as collective forms, which were then wire cut from copper in the Jewellery Quarter. These pieces have been hand finished, then enamelled by Shelanu or silver plated in the Jewellery Quarter. Prices range from £15-£22.
Shelanu are also very excited to announce a commission from The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry. They have been asked to make pieces inspired by the themes of their exhibition, ‘Caught in the Crossfire: Artistic responses to conflict, peace and reconciliation’ which opens on 25th January 2013.
You can contact the women at info@shelanucollective.co.uk.
More on the latest range here: http://www.shelanucollective.co.uk/bird.html
For more details about the Collective’s activities and their work, please visit: www.shelanucollective.co.uk Twitter:@shelanucraft www.facebook.com/ShelanuCollective
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Made In The Middle
Made in the Middle:
Major Touring Contemporary Craft Exhibition launches in Birmingham in February 2012
Craftspace introduce a wealth of talented makers from across the Midlands - featuring digital techniques and exploring ‘Pathways to Craft’ careers.
Craftspace, the Birmingham based craft agency launches its contemporary craft exhibition Made in the Middle at mac birmingham in February 2012. The seventh in its series, Made in the Middle is the Midland’s principal selling exhibition and takes place every three years. For the first time in its history-‘East meets West’ as makers based in or affiliated to the East Midlands will contribute to the exhibition alongside their West Midlands counterparts. This exhibition series promotes the best of recent craft from makers of all disciplines.
35 makers have been especially selected by a panel of curators and craft sector specialists. The makers offer an insight into the skill, creativity and innovative practice within the region. The range of disciplines include ceramics, glass, metalwork, jewellery, textiles, wood work and mixed media from recent graduates to makers with over 30 years experience. ‘Pathways to craft’ careers represented include apprenticeships, traditional university routes and evening courses and provide inspiration for people looking to change career path.
“In light of the current economic climate and University course closures within the arts, we are interested in exploring ‘Pathways to Craft’ through the exhibition. In addition to the makers who have accessed the industry through higher education, we will also be featuring those exhibitors who have adopted alternative routes into craft.” says Emma Daker, Exhibition Organiser.
Selected exhibitors include pioneering textile artist Amy Twigger Holroyd who is developing a technique called ‘stitch hacking’ while Jannette Matthews explores the potential of laser cutting in developing 3D textiles. Stunning ceramic pieces by James and Tilla Waters will be available for sale alongside work by Anna Collette Hunt. Beautiful vessels by Kevin Grey and Imogen Luddy’s stainless steel laser cut furniture will demonstrate the possibilities available to makers working in metal.
The exhibition will tour to major galleries across the Midlands for a period of 18 months and will raise the profile of regional makers and give them the opportunity to sell their work to Regional and National collectors. Visitors are encouraged to consider commissioning new work from local makers and a range of more affordable work will be available to buy whether your budget is a few pounds or a thousand pounds.
Made in the Middle is a partnership between Craftspace and mac birmingham in collaboration with The National Centre for Craft & Design.
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Made in the Middle exhibition launches:
Showcasing new digital work by makers from the Midlands
Contemporary Craft from across the Midlands
Craftspace introduce a wealth of talented makers from across the Midlands - featuring digital techniques and exploring ‘Pathways to Craft’ careers.
Experience the world’s first augmented reality ceramics – as the tradition of Royal Winton Fine Bone China meets the latest 3D animation technology. Use your phone to build your own beetle to add to a swarm and see a maker’s heartbeat.
Craftspace, the Birmingham based craft agency launches its contemporary craft exhibition Made in the Middle at mac birmingham in February 2012. The exhibition features work by contemporary makers from the East and West Midlands, many of which have embraced digital technology to develop new pathways for themselves, pushing the boundaries of their making through experimenting with new processes.
Andrew Tanner presents his new range of porcelain collector’s plates. Andrew collaborated with animation studio Unanico Group to explore the potential of augmented reality. The English hedgerow design on the plates references natural flora and fauna in a modern chintz style. The design is then brought to life using an application which runs on smart devices, typically iPhone or iPad. Amid the brambles, beech and dandelions, a bullfinch tends its nest and as a fly buzzes in the oak and hazel, a caterpillar curls in the grass. See the animation here: http://www.unanico.com/ehh.html
Ceramicist, Anna Collette Hunt shows her installation of ceramic beetles. Stirring the Swarm is a ceramic installation that tells a curiously dark tale and asks the viewer to step into the shoes of a baffled Entomologist who has been chasing the escaped swarm. Using a smart phone you can build your own beetle, adding to the swarm and visitors to the exhibition can unlock secrets using the QR codes hidden within the work.
Vanessa Cutler is concerned with pushing the parameters of waterjet cutting technology. In recent years she has been investigating the potential for its creative application with glass. Imogen Luddy’s practice focuses almost entirely on the subversion of traditional craft through digital media. Her current range is inspired by Nottingham lace. Reworking old chairs and ceramics she explores combining new technologies, such as vacuum forming and laser marquetry, with traditional practices such as crochet to create strange hybrids.
Karina Thompson uses programmable sewing machines to make two dimensional wall pieces inspired by digital data. Karina is interested in how medical imaging is used in the diagnosis and treatment of illness and the way technology allows us to see into our bodies. She’s fascinated by the importance of this information which appears illegible to the uninitiated. Her quilt in the exhibition is made up of 60 embroidered scans of her heart.
Made in the Middle is the Midland’s principal selling exhibition and takes place every three years. The exhibition will tour to major galleries across the Midlands for a period of 18 months. Visitors are encouraged to consider commissioning new work from local makers.
Made in the Middle is a partnership between Craftspace and mac birmingham in collaboration with The National Centre for Craft & Design.
Twitter: @tweetcraftspace #madeitm Blog: www.madeinthemiddle.org
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Apprenticeships in the Making
Apprenticeships in the Making worked with young people who are not in education, employment or training, to discover and challenge their preconceptions of craft and to introduce them to potential pathways within the sector.
Through a series of taster sessions the participants experienced the skills of three makers from the exhibition, before progressing onto a week long residency.
An aim of the project was to provoke the makers to contemplate the implications of taking on an apprentice long term and to consider what support, as sole traders they would need to make this a viable proposition.
Silversmith Kevin Grey’s taster at BCU’s School of Jewellery guided the participants through the principles of metal working. They were challenged to make a bowl and ring. They learned that by heating the metal (annealing) it became soft enough to work. By hammering the metal (planishing & raising) they discovered that it moved and shaped with relative ease.
“I’ve seen the patterns on brass stuff before, but I had never realised they were actually the marks from its making.” Vicky Fowler.
Amy Twigger Holroyd introduced the participants to hand and machine knitting before showing them her new technique of stitch-hacking. This entailed creating a ladder through the rows of knitting, then using a crotchet hook to re-stitch the ladder into an alternative pattern.
Jennifer Collier’s session involved the participants creating surface patterns using recycled materials, focusing on bonding, waxing and trapping to produce unique paper fabrics.
The residencies were selected through observations, recording the opinions of each participant, and asking the makers who had shown the most affinity with their craft.
Chris and Mark joined Amy Twigger Holroyd at her studio in Herefordshire. The apprentices learned many machine knitting skills including casting on and casting off, basic stocking stitch and more complicated patterns using punch cards. They used a linking machine, learning how to identify garments that have been constructed using this method and why this is the signature of a quality product.
“I hadn’t really considered what a craftsperson did before, but working with Amy has made me realise the skill involved in knitting.” Mark Rogers.
“My Granddad used to knit, he taught my Dad too. Amy has inspired me; even my Dad has started to knit again.” Chris Woolford.
Tom and Vicky travelled to Stafford for their residency with Jennifer Collier. They used templates to create 3D paper shoes and sandals, once mastered they set about manipulating the patterns to create their own designs including a Doc Martin boot and Converse trainer.
“Jennifer’s taster session was the most free and creative. The others were more about learning a fixed technique, you either did it right or you did it wrong.” Vicky Fowler.
Finally, we wanted to highlight the commissioning process, illustrating how it enables the customer to buy a piece of work which is truly personal.
Jennifer took time to talk with Vicky and Tom, discovering their interests. She requested they bring in objects and pictures that have personal meaning. From these articles she made collages which formed the fabric used to create the objects chosen by each young person.
Craftspace work in a reflective manner and it became apparent while working with Chris that he had a growing passion for knitting. On discovering he was actively searching for his own knitting machine, we agreed for Amy to source and recondition a machine, enabling Chris to further develop his newly acquired skills.
Photographs © : Craftspace
Developing people, ideas and opportunities through contemporary craft.
