Made in the Middle 2012 - Craft & Design magazine press and reviews

Made in the Middle N

ext year sees the welcome return of Made in the Middle, the Midland’s principal open selling exhibition of contemporary craft.

Originated by Craftspace and this year developed in partnership with mac birmingham where it opens on 11 February 2012, the exhibition for the first time features work from both the East and West Midlands.

Emma Daker, Exhibitions Manager at Craftspace says: “We are delighted that makers from across the region will come together in this exciting showcase, reflecting the skills and diversity of work as a whole.”

Launching in the East Midlands in April 2012 at the National Centre for Craft & Design, many makers are using the Midlands as a basis for inspiration.

Working in mixed media, Imogen Luddy draws on Nottingham’s rich history of lace-making and combines them with digital techniques. Her ‘Cross Stitch Table’ recreates a lace pattern which is redrawn using tiny crosses and laser-cut into a steel table top. The finished piece is an awkward but beautiful juxtaposition between a soft, feminine pattern and a hard masculine surface and provides a contemporary interpretation of conventional tableware.

The exhibition will also showcase developments in craft practice and Amy my Twigger Holroyd is no exception n to this.

Through her technique e of ‘stitchhacking’ she is retrospectively pectively forming structural patterns terns within an existing piece ce of knitting to create hacked ked and altered garments that intrigue.

The periodic nature of Made in the Middle offers the opportunity to build on previous shows to examine what is happening within the craft sector nationally.

Amy Twigger Holroyd In light of the changing ing climate and recent closures to University applied arts courses, this Made in the Middle will explore ‘Pathways to Craft’. Through the exhibitors selected, the exhibition will highlight alternative routes to

66

craft&design January/February 2012

practice for example: industry, such as metalsmith Kevin Grey’s background in the high end automotive industry; apprenticeships including ceramicists James and Tilla Water’s time with the renowned Rupert Spira. Mentoring and further education will also be examined, as well as those coming to makinwg as a second career such as weaver Jan Garside who worked as a midwife for twelve years.

This won’t be at the cost of ignoring the welltrodden conventional pathway of higher education.

In contrast the exhibition will highlight the importance of this route in comparison to the value of the alternatives presented.

With renewed interest in apprenticeships the exhibition partners are also keen to explore the potential for practising craftspeople to support apprentices and how apprenticeships can be marketed to young people who are considering their options. Through ‘Apprenticeships in the Making’ Craftspace and mac birmingham will work with eight young people, aged between 18 and 19 years to discover and challenge their preconceptions of crafts and introduce them to potential pathways within the sector.

Beginning with a series of taster sessions, this project will allow the young people to experience the skills of three different craft practitioners from the exhibition, before two participants are selected to progress to a weeklong apprenticeship residency intensive appren selected maker’s in their se studio.

Each apprentice will commission a piece of comm work from their maker, wor learning some of the lea techniques involved te in its making.

Documentary films Do the apprenticeships of th will b be presented in the exhibition. exhibi Once in practice however, how do makers survive or even thrive? Made in the Middle diversification of will also consider dive practice. The potential of this will be demonstrated, not only through exhibitors diversifying their own making, such as Jon Williams

www.craftanddesign.net

Jennifer Collier, Sewing Machine Image Gareth Perry

Gareth Neal, Victoria Log. Image James Champion

James & Tilla Waters, 4 Beakers

Imogen Luddy, Cross Stitch Table installation. Image Joanne Warren

exploring the use of sound in his ceramic work but also how they generate income for themselves whilst providing opportunities for other makers, like paper artist Jennifer Collier and the development of her exhibition, workshop and studio space, Unit Twelve.

The cross discipline content of the exhibition also provides an opportunity for reflection on new developments in making. This year it was impossible to ignore the growing use of digital technologies and processes. The exhibition will highlight these developments through textile pieces developed during Janette Matthew’s PhD research exploring techniques to create design-led threedimensional textiles using laser processing; and invited makers Vanessa Cutler’s partial water jet pierced sculptural glass pieces and Gareth Neal’s digitally produced Victoria Log, which utilises traditional marquetry veneers, coopering and digital manufacturing .

With thirty three exhibitors there will be something for everyone and as a selling show, potentially something to tempt everyone! craft&design magazine are pleased to be Made in the Middle’s media partners, so will be keeping readers updated on the exhibition as it launches and tours across the region.

The full list of exhibitors can be viewed at www.craftspace.co.uk Made in the Middle is a partnership between Craftspace and mac birmingham in collaboration with The National Centre for Craft & Design. It is funded through Arts Council England’s Grants for the Arts.

E: info@craftspace.co.uk T: 0121 608 6668

Kevin Grey, Vessel. Image David Withycombe

craft&design January/February 2012

67

Maggie Smith’s modern exploration of a traditional medium

Contemporary Willow “Winning the craft&design award at ‘Made in the Middle’ was a great confidence boost, but meant more to me because my work was recognised amongst work from makers in all disciplines. In recent years I feel the profile of basketry has been on the rise, there are some really exciting things happening out there and amazingly skilled makers. But I still feel we have further to go to achieve the recognition the craft deserves.”

Maggie Smith ‘Made in the Middle’ is a touring exhibition showing at: The National Centre for Craft and Design, Sleaford from 28 April until 1 July and at Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford, 15 Sept - 27 Oct. For more details, including 2013 dates and venues: www.madeinthemiddle.org

44

C

hosen by craft&design magazine to receive the innovation award at ‘Made in the Middle’, Maggie Smith creates stunningly beautiful contemporary basketry pushing the boundaries of this ancient craft form and bringing it hurtling into the 21st Century.

“I think the way I have been working with willow is quite unique to me,” explains Maggie.

“My work presents willow in a new way. Each new discovery, such as the channel pieces, creates other elements in their construction; like bags of willow shavings that I found myself unable to throw out even though at the time I had no idea how I could use them! The elements got smaller and smaller; skeining and processing the bark for cordage produces very fine shavings/ fibres and standing the rods in water resulted in fine root fibres when I finally came to peel the bark. So over time and through a lot of experimentation I have found ways to use all these elements in my work. However until recently one eluded me - the leaves! Finally, last summer, I had time to explore paper making with some of the fibres and the leaves and got good results. At the end of last year, for the first time, I used the leaves in my work by incorporating paper I had made from the leaf fibre and coiling with the stalks that were debris from that process!”

This inability to let anything go to waste has however meant that Maggie finds her workspace crammed with equipment, tools, materials, found objects, books, finished work, work in progress and many off-cuts! Hidden in the depths of her work space Maggie is to be found sitting in the bay window bathing in the sunshine and natural light that cascades in.

“I also have a bit of space in the garage that I clear in the summer months,” she explains.

“Sometimes using specific equipment will take me to this space or specific techniques will take me to other parts of the house or garden, such as when I am paper making. If I’m making traditional baskets I’m usually in the garage space or more often the conservatory or garden. I definitely gravitate to the light and outdoors whenever I can. I feel increasingly tuned into and led by the seasons and the life cycle of my willow and materials. There’s always something to be nurtured, harvested or processed as I progress

craft&design May/June 2012

through the year. My Mum and Dad gave me my love of growing and making much of what I need.

Without my materials and the techniques passed on from others my work wouldn’t exist and I’m full of great respect and wonder for them.”

Some may look at Maggie sitting in her creative suntrap manipulating the willow and think that with such skill and aptitude for her craft, she must have been doing it for many years, but actually Maggie is fairly new to it all.

“I always loved making things and working with my hands,” she recalls. “When making my career choice at the end of school I found myself choosing between art school and occupational therapy. In the end I choose occupational therapy because of the belief that I would be able to combine my desire to help others and my creative side. It didn’t quite work out like that, but I never regretted my decision and loved my time as an occupational therapist. I did nearly thirty years in the job and I always managed to keep my interest in craft and art alive by attending night classes and weekend courses, experimenting with a lot of crafts over the years. I worked abroad for many years and on coming back to work in Britain in late 1980s found myself in Aylesbury.

As usual I went looking for a night class and found a basketry class, taught by Charlie Dixon, on offer in a little Art Centre called the Queens Park Centre. Charlie was partially sighted and went to learn basketry as a trade when young. I was attracted to the basketry class because I was drawn to playing a small part in keeping a traditional skill alive. I’m grateful to Charlie for a lot, but one of the main things was introducing me to The Basketmakers’ Association.”

It was from here that Maggie’s interest in basketry intensified and she continued to find other classes and tutors that would help extend her skills. One of those tutors was Joy Viall who encouraged Maggie to make the move to train for a City and Guilds qualification in Basketry and therefore formalise

www.craftanddesign.net

Image Trevor Springett

by Rachael Chambers

craft&design May/June 2012

45

her knowledge and skills. Maggie chose the part time City & Guilds course in Creative Basketry at the City Lit in London and completed parts 1 & 2 over a period of 4 years.

“What I craved most about the course was the design element,” she says. “For as long as I remember, observing the world or learning new skills and techniques would set off inventive mind games in me. I wouldn’t be able to sleep and sometimes I’d feel like my mind would explode with ideas! I hoped the design element in the course would help make these ideas concrete in the form of my own actual craft objects.”

On finishing the course it took two years before Maggie found the courage to take the leap into full time basketry and no sooner had she resigned from her occupational therapy job than family commitments meant this had to be put on hold. It was 2009 and a Crafts Council emerging makers development programme helped Maggie return to basketry as a full time occupation, as she explains; “The timing couldn’t have been better for me. I was just trying to find my feet again, making new work, planning my future career path, trying to start up my own business, all daunting to say the least.

The course contained all sorts of pertinent information and advice on these business aspects but also, importantly, the encouragement and support from both the professionals and my peers provided a much needed confidence boost at the time. Contacts I made during this course resulted in me being invited to join a group of contemporary makers called Basketry Plus and being a part of a group that exhibits regularly helps me keep up the momentum to produce new work.”

Maggie’s enthusiasm for keeping this traditional skill alive is apparent and her need to seek and explore techniques and to push the boundaries of what can be achieved means this ancient craft continues to inspire Maggie, as her work continues to inspire others.

“With each new piece I learn,” she enthuses.

“Seeing the willow in all its guises, different forms, textures and colours; finding new things I can do, new things the willow can do; all inspire me on to create the next piece. I find it exciting when a piece can look like several different materials are being used when it is willow alone. I actively seek to learn traditional techniques and specific baskets. Some baskets still have a great relevance in today’s life style, others, apart from wonderment at the skill, have become largely redundant, however the techniques are often things of beauty and utterly intriguing. While I want to perfect and practise each new skill I learn, I find I can’t leave it at that! I’m naturally drawn to exploring, experimenting and developing and see this process as part of keeping skills alive. I suppose I don’t want to be only repeating what has been done, but instead letting my craft speak for me and my time, perfecting and exploring the techniques so I can give them a new relevance for today and for the future.”

E: maggiesmithbasketry@live.co.uk www.maggiesmithbasketry.co.uk

46

craft&design May/June 2012

The Design Edge Online Trade Catalogue, the ultimate resource for trade buyers, brings hundreds of top UK and Irish designer-makers to your desktop...for FREE!

www.design-edge.uk.com

Rachael Chambers, craft&design’s Contempory Craft Editor, with Maggie Smith at ‘Made in the Middle’ exhibition 2012

Exhibiting work: 1-26 May ‘13 Amulets’. Work by Basketry Plus group of contemporary makers www.basketryplus.org at Petrie Museum - University College London.

23-29 June: Northamptonshire Guild of Designer Craftsmen and Northampton Town and County Art Society at Lamport Hall Carriage House Gallery, Northampton.

14 June - 4 November: ‘Linking’. International Exhibition of basketry and modern textile techniques at National Viechtmuseum Noordwolde, Netherlands.

www.craftanddesign.net

Produced by the organisers of the British Craft Trade Fair, the Autumn/Winter 2012/2013 edition will go live this July.

To register as a buyer visit our website.

PSM Ltd on 01444 246446 Email: info@design-edge.uk.com

craft&design May/June 2012

47

by Rachael Chambers

Zoë Hillyard

Piecing together the past

E

very piece tells a story and what a story each piece of Zoë Hillyard’s work tells; journeys around the world to places as diverse and remote as micro communities in Outer Mongolia to redundant industrial production on our own shores.

Zoë works from home, not from a converted room or even the end of the dining table, but on ledges and places around the home, her work is as a transitional as Zoë herself, travelling with her as it makes its own way through the stages of its development.

70

craft&design July/August 2012

Zoë’s current ‘ceramic patchwork’ pieces are inspired by deep cultural values, many years in the fashion industry and a broken bowl!

“The gestation period for this way of working has been years, but the catalyst was the simple breaking of a bowl in my kitchen! Lazily, I thought; I haven’t any glue in the house, how else can I mend it?

Could it be patched back together? That actual bowl went in the bin, but the idea remained. I call my process ‘ceramic patchwork’ as I re-use old silk fabric to rebuild shattered ceramics using only hand-stitch to hold pieces together. The variables associated with how vessels crack, the fabric and thread choices, inside and outside construction as well as partial re-building provides infinite possibilities and scope for the creation of completely unique decorative pieces.

“I am interested in the lifecycle of objects and in building value into the things we own. The ceramics I use have already lived a life; originating from mass production, I find them as discarded items in charity shops or car boot sales. The silks are often ex-fashion and similarly sourced. The process of re-making brings a new chapter to the journeys of both elements and in a combined reincarnation they become one-off statements, possibly appreciated within gallery-style settings, but definitely starting out on a new chapter.”

I came across Zoe’s work at the ‘Made in the Middle’ touring exhibition where she had created a special selection of work that draws influence from the Stoke-on-Trent ceramics industry, as she explains.

“I recently challenged my use of imagery within a body of work made for Made in the Middle, a Craftspace organised touring exhibition which tri-annually surveys contemporary craft practice in the Midlands. The pieces are inspired by the legacy of Stoke-on-Trent ceramic manufacturing and grew out of an interest in the trade that brought Chinese porcelain to Europe and which resulted in domestic oriental ceramic production.

“The pieces use digitally printed silk using textile designs developed from photography taken in the old Spode factory. This is a space which was once a thriving centre of industrial production and which now stands empty, with its future

www.craftanddesign.net

uncertain. I looked to capture the evidence of manufacturing life through the materiality of the building; marks left behind on walls, floors and equipment. Creating a series of blue and white textile designs with this imagery enabled me to develop pieces that carry on the region’s tradition of producing oriental china. In celebrating the livelihoods that had developed around its production, I also wish to reflect on the transition, the space, the community that the region’s industry is currently experiencing.”

Zoë has also used the digital printing of silk in a collaboration with the British Museum to create a number of contemporary retail pieces inspired by objects within the British Museum archives. Two new collections of Zoë’s ceramic patchwork pieces will be launched in the Grenville Room to coincide with the ‘Shakespeare: Staging the World’ exhibition which starts on 19th July. One collection is based on an exquisite etching of Queen Elizabeth I, whilst the other reworks one of The Armada Plates; a handcoloured engraving depicting the movements of the Spanish and English fleets in 1588.

Looking back, Zoë’s creative pathway followed a traditional arts college route, studying first a Foundation Course in Art & Design at Middlesex Polytechnic then a BA(Hons) Textile Design at the Nottingham Trent University.

“I have always been involved in constructional approaches to creating textiles and I can trace my interest in traditional crafts, artifacts, recycling materials, as well as combining hard and soft qualities, back to this time,” she recalls.

From university Zoë made her way onto the fashion front creating knitted accessories, and it was the inspiration behind these collections that helped sow deeper the seeds of her future inspiration.

“For many years my work was fashion industry focused,” says Zoë. “On graduating, my approach to embellishing knit became the basis for collections of fashion accessories, inspired by traditional craft practices encountered whilst traveling in Asia and Australia, and these were sold in the UK, America and Japan.

“Having taken up a fractional lecturing position at Birmingham City University in 1998, I firstly combined this with freelance fashion swatch design, and then later worked with Marion Foale, designing fully fashioned tailored hand knitwear collections which were shown during London and Paris fashion weeks.

Being involved in creating items that were made with real attention to detail, designed to be treasured for a long time and employed the hand-knitting skills available within the region, made real sense.

“However, my ongoing interest in the role of craft-based enterprise within marginal livelihoods, and a passion for overseas travel, took me into research and overseas development roles and in 2006 I spent a year in Mongolia working at the Mongolian Textile Institute helping to develop their design degree provision as part of a Secure Livelihoods Programme with VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas). This proved to be a hugely inspirational experience and the work I am now making is conceptually driven by my experiences abroad and marks a rediscovery of my own creative language.”

Listening to Zoë explain with such passion her travels and the saturation these experiences have played on her values is impelling.

“I am inspired by cultures where there is still an element of self-sufficiency to household life,” she enthuses. “It is often the women that prove key in

this; juggling childcare, cooking, milking and with often some sort of craft enterprise alongside. These ways of life are often found in more remote, rural locations; Peru, northern India etc. and are cultures that continue to evolve in relation to transport, topographic, climate and communication challenges. I like hunting out local markets, stopping at road-side stalls and staying with families; sitting watching, talking and learning.

The most extreme example of this sort of way of life that I have gained an insight into is that of the nomadic herders in Mongolia.

“Traveling in the vast beautiful countryside in winter you can come across small grouping of two or three round felt gers and see households operating in brutally low temperatures surviving on the resources provided by their animals and skills and know-how developed over centuries. Their remoteness and the need for them to move frequently to ensure food for their animals mean that they have a very different attitude to the accumulation of possessions than we do in the West.

“Not that inside their gers are bleak, far from it; it is usually an eclectic mixture of materials and possessions that all have value, either as functional tools or as ceremonial and celebratory objects. The mis-matched aesthetic and structural simplicity of these spaces are primarily a result of people’s material resourcefulness and influenced by their Buddhist Shamanist beliefs. These aspects of Mongolian culture continue to be a strong source of inspiration in my work, with the ceramic patchwork forms I create being reminiscent of the round felt gers that many Mongolians live in.”

It seems the inspiration for Zoë’s work has come from near and far and from kitchen accident to cultural influences, but in the end all the pieces fell into place.

Where to see Zoë’s work; The Grenville Room at the British Museum, London; two new collections of pieces will be launched to coincide with their Shakespeare: Staging the World exhibition starting on 19 July.

Brown Rose Vase, recycled silk

Made in the Middle - touring exhibition. Currently at The National Centre for Craft & Design in Sleaford. See www. madeinthemiddle.org for tour dates. www.zoehillyard.com zoehillyard@gmail. com

Elizabethan Range, Pear Vase

craft&design July/August 2012

71

Pathways to and through making “More than half of makers (61%) have a relevant degree and the number for whom it is a first career seems to be growing, suggesting that craft practice is becoming ‘professionalised’ and that an academic training in the subject… has become the primary pathway into the profession.”

‘Craft in the Age of Change’, p.35 February 2012

The remaining Made in the Middle tour dates are: Hereford Museum and Art Gallery: until 2 January, Rugby Art Gallery & Museum:15 Jan – 9 March, Bilston Craft Gallery: 23 March – 11 May , Northampton Museum & Art Gallery: 25 May - 6 July www.craftspace.co.uk Twitter #madeitm A more detailed article and exhibitor examples are featured online at: www.madeinthemiddle. org/tagged/craftdesign

64

T

he recent report ‘Craft in an Age of Change’¹ demonstrates the significance of higher education to the contemporary craft sector.

This major UK survey which consulted over 2000 makers and craft professionals, was published in February 2012, the same month that Craftspace’s current touring exhibition Made in the Middle launched at mac birmingham. The report supports the main theme of the regional open exhibition; exploring pathways to making in light of the economic downturn and subsequent closures to applied art courses.

As a triennial exhibition, Made in the Middle enables Craftspace to explore and comment on current issues within the sector. Consequently Craftspace and the exhibition partners mac birmingham and The National Centre for Craft and Design, aimed to utilise this exhibition to explore various routes to professional practice through the careers of those featured.

We explored three pathways to making, the traditional path, apprenticeships and as a second career. We also examined opportunities available, once more established, through the following themes Diversification of Making, Diversification from Practice and New Pathways.

The Traditional Path The most common route to a making career is from statutory education to an applied art course.

As stated, there are concerns within the craft sector that this presents diminishing opportunities for people to break into making.

Yet applied arts courses are a proven, valuable basis for a making career, enabling practitioners to expand into a variety of roles and sectors, and to acquire important and inspirational theory as well as making skills. Once established there is the potential to progress into other areas of work.

Apprenticeships to Making Undeniably, apprenticeships exist within the craft sector, but they are largely placements for graduates of applied art courses, rather than school-leavers.

However there is growing interest in exploring apprenticeships as an alternative to university.

Whatever their route to practice, it’s essential that, once established, there are opportunities for makers to develop their thinking and skills further.

craft&design January/February 2013

Organisations within the sector are consciously creating continued professional development programmes, including incubation schemes for emerging makers or mentoring for more established practitioners, all of which seem to be having an impact.

Making as a Second Career A significant proportion of professional makers have come to craft practice as a second career, having worked in other industries for a significant period. A number of Made in the Middle exhibitors demonstrate alternative routes, but have often pursued higher education as a means to rationalise their ideas and skills.

It’s widely accepted that makers need to supplement their income rather than survive on their practice alone. But how can makers remain viable whilst keeping their motivation and creativity vibrant? Portfolio career is an expression increasingly used which reflects the majority of making careers. Teaching, community work or commissions are all recognisable sources of income. Except today craft is a growing sector, an expanded field of practice, broader than traditional avenues. Through the course of the exhibition development we came across some interesting, perhaps accidental pathways.

New Pathways: As with all other industries, craft is developing and moving with the times. There has been a marked increase by makers nationally in the use of digital technologies in recent years.

Contemporary craft also develops and changes through makers’ quests to perfect their skills and develop their knowledge. Makers continually develop new pathways for themselves, pushing the boundaries of their making though experimenting with new processes.

Considering the careers of the exhibitors demonstrated a number of pathways, alongside higher education for entry into the contemporary craft sector, although the majority of exhibitors that took those routes ultimately wanted to validate their experience with an accredited applied art course.

The value of programmes run by development organisations to continued professional development was also evident, as was the importance for makers to be well networked and the beneficial ability to recognise an interesting opportunity.

Contemporary craft makers have a lot to offer both their sector and beyond, but they need to be more aware of their transferrable skills, or perhaps need help identifying them. There needs to be a conscious realisation that makers approach things differently which can lead to interesting pathways as consultants as a result of their material and technical knowledge.

Emma Daker, Craftspace

The Traditional Path: following a textile degree, Gill Wilson creates paper wall pieces for the interior market, as well as teaching, working in crafts admin & managing a gallery.

Apprenticeships: originally a telecom engineering apprentice, Anna Lorenz sought a career change with a Master Goldsmith before completing a Jewellery & Silversmithing degree.

Second Career: initially a midwife, Jan Garside took evening classes leading to higher education & her weaving practice.

Diversification of Practice: spotted by Nokia at Collect, Esther Lord has developed a new range of work inspired by the project she did with the company.

New Pathways: Vanessa Cutler has developed knowledge of water-jet technology resulting in consultancy work for other industries including engineers.

Diversification of Practice: When operating as a sole trader it’s difficult to make time to draw out new inspiration with the conflicting demands of managing a small business.

Nonetheless it is important for makers to push their practice. There is a need to identify time and seize opportunities, such as trade fairs and exhibitions, to foster new relationships, enabling the development of new ideas and exploration of different processes and techniques.

Diversification from Making: Within portfolio careers, various experiences and projects inform makers’ practices or can inspire them to venture into new areas. Although still making in their chosen discipline, some exhibitors are also exploring new avenues which utilise their design and making skills alongside their practice.

Some develop their own careers whilst supporting other makers.

www.craftanddesign.net

Diversification from Making: as a result of needing a permanent display of her work for clients, Jennifer Collier opened Unit Twelve, now an exhibition and workshop space with five maker’s studios.

www.craftanddesign.net/

craft&design January/February 2013

65

Jennifer Collier

by Rachael Chambers

Vaccum Cleaner

Lampshades

Happy Accidents

Typewrighter

I

first came across the work of Jennifer Collier a few years ago at the British Craft Trade Fair, and have since displayed and sold Jennifer’s work in exhibitions at Ferrers Gallery. Her work is quirky but endearing and instantly recognisable - a dainty pair of shoes made from vintage pattern cutting papers, a camera made from old maps or a cup and saucer from old postcards. Jennifer bonds, waxes, traps and stitches paper to create a ‘paper fabric’, which she then transforms into sculptural representations of everyday objects.

Jennifer originally trained in textiles, completing a BA(hons) in Textiles at Manchester Metropolitan University in 1999, a traditional textiles course specialising in Print, Knit and Weave. But that was to change, for Jennifer had ideas outside of that box, as she recalls:

Postcard cup & jug

6

craft&design March/April 2013

www.craftanddesign.net

www.craftanddesign.net/

“Towards the end of the course I started experimenting with different materials. I was weaving with orange peel, melting fruit bags, all manner of things my tutors did not approve of.

I honestly believe the best way to learn is by not being afraid to make mistakes, this way you allow yourself to have happy accidents. All of the techniques I use in my work now are things I have taught myself since graduating, by experimenting with different media and techniques. It got to the stage where books and papers were my main inspiration, so it just made sense for them to become the media for the work too.”

For Jennifer the papers are integral to both the design and concept of each piece.

“The papers themselves serve as both the inspiration and the media for my work,” she explains, “with the narrative of the books and papers suggesting the forms; for example, a sewing machine made from dress making patterns, or a camera out of vintage photographs.”

Ultimately, if Jennifer had the time, materials and space, she would like to create a room set out of paper, as she goes on to describe.

“A room set where every detail is made out of paper, from the handmade wallpaper to the paper tea set, and a paper table cloth, with embroidered paper napkins.”

Jennifer spends many hours in flea markets, charity shops and antique stores rummaging through boxes to find that piece of hidden treasure, one man’s junk being another’s treasure.

This is certainly true in Jennifer’s case, where many of the books and papers that others would see as spoiled and discard, are the gems that Jennifer is searching for: “I enjoy nothing more than finding a cook book splattered with food stains or a water damaged paperback that I can save from land fill and transform into something craft&design March/April 2013

7

beautiful,” she enthuses. “My favourite ‘treasures’ are the illustrated volumes that children have coloured in, most shops sell these for pence as they consider them damaged, but I love the fact that a child has loved that book enough to spend time colouring in the illustrations.”

Once Jennifer finds the papers she wishes to transform, the process of turning these 2D pieces into 3D sculptures may not happen immediately.

There’s a degree of experimentation and trepidation for Jennifer, who wants to push the boundaries of what can be achieved, but does not wish to spoil the carefully selected papers.

“I will find the papers, then find a way in which they can be transformed and given new life,” she says. “Sometimes I may have the papers for years before I am brave enough to use them, or have decided their function. I spend time ‘playing’ with the papers and allowing myself to have ‘happy accidents’- probably more than half of my work never sees the light of day, but through the other half I have discovered something truly unique.

Working with paper, the main problem is it’s fragility. However, with practice you get a feel for what types of recycled papers are best for certain jobs and how far you can push it without it ripping.”

Knowing the process Jennifer goes through to create each unique piece means I look at the work I saw last year at the Craftspace ‘Made in the Middle’ touring exhibition with even more admiration.

Unit 12 Gallery

Jennifer created a paper Hoover complete with a 1970s orange floral wallpaper zip up Hoover bag.

The piece is her favourite creation, but then there have been several others that have equally shaped her success.

“Making the cover artwork for author Linda Grant’s ‘The Thoughtful Dresser’, which was winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction and Booker Prize shortlisted, was a defining moment. Mind you, seeing my work in ‘Vogue’ last May was pretty amazing too!”

Jennifer’s work has been featured in no less than 50 periodicals, including Vogue, Grand Designs and Elle Decoration, to name just a few, and is featured daily on numerous blogs, thanks to her development of a huge viral web presence through social media.

The past few years have certainly been busy for Jennifer in developing her work and establishing a following for it. Alongside this she has also opened her own gallery where she shares her space with other makers and her skills with the general public.

“I have a studio space, along with six other makers, based at my gallery, Unit Twelve,” she says.

“Unit Twelve hosts a regularly changing programme of selected, themed exhibitions of high quality contemporary craft, with complementary art workshops run by myself. Once a month we host one of the exhibiting artists to run a workshop to tie in to the exhibition.

“I knew that ultimately I would like to develop a hub for craft activity and share many different types of craft with my audience, the exhibition programme also gives people a reason to keep coming back, as there is always something new to see.”

Unit Twelve is open Thursday-Saturday, 10-4pm.

For more details visit www.unittwelve.co.uk Jennifer Collier Unit Twelve, Tixall Heath Farm, Tixall, Stafford, ST18 0XX www.jennifercollier.co.uk M: 07811 460494

from Derbyshire to Dorsetshire ...we work hard to showcase some of the finestly crafted things in some of the finestly crafted places

OAKLEIGH supporting MAY 2013

Sewing machine

if you’d like to join us for these event-full days booking forms are always available from...

oakleighfairs.co.uk 8

craft&design March/April 2013

www.craftanddesign.net

I

www.craftanddesign.net/

01206 263088

craft&design March/April 2013

9

Diary of a Craftmaker H It’s a very warm welcome to Zoë Hillyard, our new Diary writer for 2013 “I am a maker who works with textile and ceramic materials, exploring repair as a way of adding new chapters to the journeys of existing objects. I use traditional textile patchwork techniques to rebuild broken charity shop vases and bowls, creating hand stitched decorative pieces with a unique flawed beauty.

I enjoy making bespoke pieces to commission and am inspired by cultural contrasts, both at home in Birmingham and abroad.

I like the way that my Ceramic Patchwork process enables me to be flexible as to where I make and to rummage in second-hand shops when sourcing materials.

I originally completed a degree in Textile Design at Nottingham Trent University and my career has seen previous chapters designing tailored knitwear for Marion Foale and being a VSO volunteer in Mongolia.

I am currently a part-time textile design lecturer at Birmingham City University and enjoy the combination of facilitating other people’s learning alongside pursuing my own ideas.” www.zoehillyard.com

34

ello! I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to share the twists and turns of my Ceramic Patchwork with you during 2013.

To follow in Nick Ozanne’s (dapper) shoes in writing this feature is a tough call, but our paths have crossed at a number of events over the last few years and I thank him for his encouragement and look forward to seeing Leto & Ariadne go from strength to strength.

Where to start this very first diary entry? I am not a regular diary-writer myself - I tend to capture my life in images. When on my travels my camera is red hot from a mixture of photo-journalism and inspiration gathering. But I do love freshly recounting crazy experiences when abroad, emailing them from bizarre internet cafés. So I have decided to write these diary entries in a similar flavour and on location. This first is coming to you from the York Bakery Café in the heart of Birmingham (a new find and a real little gem).

So, what sort of craftsperson am I? You may remember reading about my Ceramic Patchwork in Piecing Together the Past in the July/August 2012 issue. I am trained in textile design, having specialised in embroidery, but see myself now as a maker who primarily ‘constructs’ (coming from a family of assorted engineers, I suppose I shouldn’t really be surprised). My work requires me to be equally tuned into the properties of both ceramics and textiles, as my pieces are a combination of both materials.

I make most of my pieces at home. Ceramics ready to be broken sit alongside finished re-constructed statements on shelves about my house. There is a chair by the window in my living room that is my preferred place for stitching.

Tucked underneath is a wicker basket containing silks, threads, needles, scissors and a hammer, and I fight a constant battle against small chips of ceramic embedded in my carpet. For two days of the week this is my base. By contrast, the other three days see me working with textile design undergraduates at Birmingham City University (BCU).

My love of charity shops and car-booting, where I find all of my ceramics and most of the fabrics, pre-date Ceramic Patchwork, but now provides me with the perfect justification for a good old mooch.

They remind me of airport lounges - places where things pause en route from one place to another,

craft&design March/April 2013

some still fresh with a spring in their step, others tired out, but each with their own back story. These places exert an irresistible pull. My boyfriend, also an avid charity shopper, once declared he’d even ‘walk past a charity shop for me’ and I recognise the level of sacrifice this represents!

Ceramic Patchwork is a relatively new venture of mine. To summarise; 2010 was about nurturing a seed of creative thought: is it possible to patch a broken piece of ceramic together using just fabric and stitch? 2011 became about exploring this concept and perfecting its craftsmanship. 2012 was about holding the idea up to public scrutiny where the response surpassed all expectations. I now find myself working on a range of commissions that enable me to explore its potential, including using archive imagery from the British Museum to create bespoke collections, as well as re-working people’s personal fabrics that have sentimental value. I hope 2013 contains more of these sorts of projects.

The beginning of the year has already been busy, with me showcasing a series of new work in Designer Crafts at the Mall Gallery organised by the Society of Designer Craftsmen. I have begun to explore mixing fabrics within pieces, inspired by a traditional Japanese approach to mending ceramics called Kintsugi, which honours breakages.

Culturally the ceramics associated with tea ceremonies are powerfully symbolic pieces; rather than seeing a breakage as the end of a piece’s life, the flaws are celebrated by mending them with visible ‘golden seams’. Pieces accrue prestige and continue to be used. Yobitsugi is a variation that sees a broken item mended by inserting a completely different piece of ceramic to replace a missing fragment and it is this idea of a contrasting patch that intrigues me.

For some amazing alternative approaches to repair, have a browse through Andrew Baseman’s blog, ‘Past Imperfect: the art of inventive repair’.

The lengths people have gone to prolong the life of an object and their sometimes brutal ingenuity I always find refreshing and inspiring. (http://andrewbaseman.com/blog/) The last few weeks of 2012 were a hectic mix of finishing the new exhibition pieces, juggling University teaching life, as well as dealing with the usual seasonal guilt about there being not more home-made gifts wrapped under the tree. Sadly the

www.craftanddesign.net

Mall Gallery show has now finished but it is good to share some images from the exhibition with you.

It was great to see Amber Wakley, a recent BCU graduate exhibiting her contemporary lacework.

The private view was busy and I was completely delighted to receive the Pollie Weiss Colour Prize, selected and presented by the jeweller John Weiss and his wife, the textile designer Althea McNish.

The collection of blue and white pieces I made inspired by Spode factory life in Stoke-on-Trent continues to tour as part of Craftspace’s Made in the Middle exhibition. If you haven’t visited this lively, mixed-discipline show that surveys contemporary craft from the East and West Midlands, then catch it soon. (www.madeinthemiddle.org) 2013 sees me pursuing new commission based opportunities to use Ceramic Patchwork to revive the fortunes of materials and build value into the things we own. Three new exhibitions are lined up and applications are in for key craft fairs. BCU also has exciting projects on the horizon, so there will be lots to share and I’m looking forward to chronicling all the highs and lows for you. Establishing a series of Ceramic Patchwork New Year Resolutions at this stage of the year is one thing, but publishing them is quite another - who knows how many I will keep!

Designer Crafts at the Mall Galleries Discussing technique and inspiration with visitors at Mall Galleries

British Museum, Grenville Room, London Made in the Middle, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum until 9 March Mary Maggs Contemporary Arts & Crafts, Broadway WR12 7AA

Receiving the Pollie Weiss Colour Prize from the jeweller John Weiss and his wife, the textile designer Althea McNish at the private view of Designer Crafts.

www.craftanddesign.net/

craft&design March/April 2013

35