Collecting a Kaleidoscope

About

Collecting a Kaleidoscope is an exhibition of 19 objects from the Crafts Council Collection selected by Ralph Turner, renowned curator, writer and former Head of Exhibitions at the Crafts Council from 1979-1989. Ralph Turner's love of craft started during a childhood in a Welsh coal-mining town where hand-making was a necessary part of everyday life. Turner believes craft offers a timely antidote to our current global culture. Through his very personal selection from a public collection we are offered an insight to the diverse and unique nature of contemporary craft and the breadth and depth of an exceptional public collection. The objects in Collecting a Kaleidoscope range across disciplines and include ephemeral pieces of jewellery by Naomi Filmer that melt upon the wearer, Bruno Romanelli's serene spectral glass portrait and Alison Britton's solid vessel Gob. The pure, quiet lines of Shin Azumi's bench and Elizabeth Callinicos' methodical and intriguing Group of Objects contrast with the raw energy of Simon Carroll's anarchic thrown pot and further accentuate the vibrancy and range of this selection. The Crafts Council Collection was started in 1971 and has since grown to become one of the leading collections of contemporary craft in the UK. Collecting a Kaleidoscope is part of the Crafts Council Touring Exhibition Initiative that offers museums and galleries the opportunity to host innovative curated exhibitions showcasing the Crafts Council Collection.