Artful Craft - Curated by Peter Randall-Page RA

About

Hyperrealist sculptures of lichen, works crafted from salmon skin, and monumental bells are among the works in a major exhibition of artists straddling the art-craft divide, curated by Peter Randall-Page RA and on show at MAKE Southwest, the crafts education charity formerly known as Devon Guild of Craftsmen.

Artful Craft explores the nature of craft, art, and design in the 21st century addressing the labels, status, and boundaries commonly associated with it as well as the impact new technologies, such as digital design and rapid prototyping, have had on transforming how craft is now perceived.

Curated by MAKE Southwest president and renowned sculptor Peter Randall-Page RA who invited globally recognised artists who, like him, cross boundaries by blending fine art concepts with elements of traditional craft processes. These exhibitors are David Nash RA OBE; Susan Derges; Halima Cassell MBE; David Mach RA; Tavs Jorgensen; Sarah Gillespie; and Marcus Vergette.

Those exhibitors were invited to nominate an additional artist whose work had significance for them to take  part in the exhibition. Those chosen include a mixture of early career artists, established artists who have been influential in some way, or someone whose work addresses the art/craft theme of the show.  Nominated artists are Alice Dudgeon (nominated by David Nash); Amanda Cobbett  (nominated by Sarah Gillespie); Amy Shelton  (nominated by Susan Derges); Jonathan Keep (nominated by Tavs Jorgensen); and Andrea Liu (nominated by Peter Randall-Page).

Amanda Cobbett creates intricate three dimensional, papier-mâché and machine-embroidered hyperrealist sculptures that replicate the lichen-covered twigs and intriguing flora she encounters in the forest during her twice daily dog walks - her ‘daily commute’. Cobbett often grid references her original finds offering that information alongside the embroidered artwork. Machining approximately 130,000 individual stitches a day, these are not only a textile tour de force but highlight the beauty and diversity that exists in the undergrowth, encouraging us to look for that specimen in nature and to care about its existence.

Andrea Liu uses salmon skins found in the waste bins of smokeries, restaurants, factories and fishing harbours that are then handcrafted into one-off pieces that function not only aesthetically but are imbued with stories that hold cultural, emotional and ecological values.

Halima Cassell’s intricately carved objects can be viewed in part as her carving out her own history and other forgotten ones, fusing her Asian roots with a fascination for African pattern work and her deep passion for architectural geometry.

Marcus Vergette creates monumental harmonically structured bronze bells using both digital software and traditional casting techniques embracing both art and engineering. This new bell design is a companion piece to one which was commissioned  by the Mass Extinction Observatory in conjunction with the Royal Society. It was created to speak both about the present rapid rate of extinction and to mark 450 years since the esteemed English scientist Robert Hooke considered the idea of extinction when looking at fossil remains in the stone quarry on the Isle of Portland, Dorset.

Susan Derges endeavours to manifest or capture invisible scientific and natural processes - the physical appearance of sound vibration, the evolution of frogspawn or the cycles of the moon. She is perhaps best known for her pioneering technique of capturing the continuous movement of water by immersing photographic paper directly into rivers or shorelines. Characteristically, her work involves cameraless, lens-based, digital and reinvented photographic processes. Often creating work at night, she works with the light of the moon and a hand-held torch to expose images directly onto light sensitive paper.

Talking about his concept for the exhibition Peter Randall-Page RA, President of Make Southwest and curator of the show says: “My involvement with MAKE Southwest  goes back more than 10 years and I was delighted to be asked to curate a show to celebrate the relaunch of this long established and important organisation.

As a sculptor I have chosen makers whose practice crosses boundaries between art and craft as does my own. The work in the show is diverse in both concepts and materials. All the artists I have chosen produce work which is both innovative and of exceptional quality, many of whom have international reputations.

I have asked each selected participant to nominate another artist, maker or designer of their choosing in order to broaden the scope of the show and in the process have been introduced to some exciting new practitioners.”

We are delighted to be engaging in this debate and excited to be working with Peter Randall-Page in bringing these incredible artists to the South West.”

MAKE Southwest has been a beacon of excellence in art and craft outside the metropolitan areas since 1955 – a craft charity with a thriving Membership and programme of events and exhibitions showing national and international artists and makers. Recently the charity has been going through a period of modernisation and rebuilding, culminating in the new name to reflect the diverse and inclusive celebration of art, craft, and design that the organisation represents. Artful Craft marks the first of a series of high-profile exhibitions planned at MAKE Southwest to reflect a more inclusive remit driving forward the creation of a crafts culture for all.