The Crafts Council of Ireland Issue no.4
Food for Thought The "Food for Thought-Thought for Food" exhibition, opened by Myrtle Allen in Lucy Erridge's Gallery on the 20th of October, featured some familiar names like Michael Jackson and Keith Leadbetter, but in keeping with gallery policy, predominantly showed pieces by many lesser known potters and glassmakers at work in Ireland. The invitation of Myrtle Allen to open the show was an inspired choice. Her introduction demonstrated that her creativity as a cook was complemented by her understanding that the selection of ware to display her food was as critical as her choice of ingredients. Splendid food needs to be presented in splendid wood, pottery or glass to create a visual as well as a gastronomic feast. A beautiful bowl full of potatoes cooked to perfection is part of that feast, while potatoes served on an everyday plate is merely part of somebody's dinner - no matter how welcome! She drew attention to some exhibits in order to demonstrate how she might use them herself at a dinner party. A warming wine punch in a lidded jar of Micheen Bradley's, decorated with modelled vine leaves and grapes, with a rich, lustrous purple earthenware glaze; a stunning mass of petit fours on one of Salah Kawala's large, elegant and graphically decorated glass dishes.
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Lucy Erridge's gallery was full to capacity and the crowd showed by the many purchases they made, that they had taken Myrtle Allen's advice to heart. Mary O'Gorman's recent range of tulip decorated majolica plates and bowls
were an instant and rapid selling success, as was a range of stoneware produced by trainees at the Pottery Skills Course in Thomastown. This exhibition is one of a continuing series of thematic shows that have ranged in subject from textile miniatures to emerging talent. One of the chief difficulties the Erridges (Alison Erridge and her daughters Lucy and Susan) have in organising and mounting such shows is finding new names and work to introduce to the group of collectors and buyers they have established in the area. The Lucy Erridge Fashion Gallery, in Bird Hill Co. Tipperary, is well placed just a few miles outside Limerick on the Dublin Road. Potential exhibitors are invited to send C.V.'s and photographs or slides of work to the gallery, in order to assist the future development of the exhibition programme.