As much as seeing the actual pots at
Ceramic Art London, I love to sit in the lecture room and take in whatever is on offer.
First, some pots -
Now, the talks ...
Tristram Hunt was once an MP but is now head honcho at the V&A, a world-leader museum with 2.3 million artefacts in its collection, which was started as a "museum of manufacture" in 1852. With an increasing number of sites (eg
Dundee with its Scottish galleries), the museum is an example of cosmopolitanism in an age of (increasing?) chauvinism. One of the questions from the audience was, instead of or in addition to sending physical exhibitions out to various venues, could the museum make films of the exhibition, to be shown in cinemas perhaps to a paying audience?
John Wilson of
Darwen Terracotta revealed his rescue mission - the skills of 40 workers at when the "heritage restoration" section of long-established Shaw's of Darwen was closed by the company's new owners, the skills of 40 workers were about to be lost - so John and a colleague started a new company to employ them. It is now getting a shed-load of work and apprentices are being trained to fill in when the older guys retire. Fabulous project and an inspiring talk -- as well as an eye-opener for ceramics used in new-builds and as restoration (eg in the Natural History Museum).
Grant Gibson, former editor of Crafts magazine and interviewer of many craftspeople, was interviewed in the final talk of the day. He has started a podcast (
Material Matters with Grant Gibson) which has makers talking about their materials - eg Edmund de Waal on procelain, Peter Layton on glass, Celia Pym on darning. Let's hope it continues.
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