March events!!!!

CRAFT MATTERS:
I went to see another presentation of the new initiative by the CRAFTS COUNCIL called CRAFT MATTERS. As far as I understand, all they want us to do is sign a petition and the only reason I can see them needing a petition is to drum up support for the Crafts Council. They have only managed to collect 6000 signatures, despite the fact that there are 35,000 registered makers in the UK.

I can't help wondering if they would get more support if they laid out why it is worth supporting the Crafts Council and what they intend to do for makers in the future.

Craft is enjoying a resurgence in the Art world and while some get bogged down in the meaning of words and the relationship between design and making, the new generation is bored with 'cerebral conceptualism' and is re-discovering the 'magic of making'.
Whether the creative student pursues a career as an artist, investigating process as a means to an end or as a craftsman who aims to master a particular skill, is not for anyone to decide. What is clear, is that there is again a real interest amongst people to learn new craft skills or to take their existing craft skills further.

What the Crafts Council do well is publish CRAFTS magazine. In the current issue there is an article covering the exhibition due to be held at MAD in New York, underlying this very issue.
http://madmuseum.org/


Two Exhibitions that I shall be going to are both at the CAA
http://www.caa.org.uk/

Pins by Brother Vicki Ambery-Smith are on show at:
The Honey Bee and the Hive is at Contemporary Applied Arts from 26 March - 1 May

and before that

Intelligent Trouble: A Curious Exchange

19th February - 20th March

Discussions will be
facilitated in the gallery
by Helen Carnac, Lin
Cheung, David Clarke
and David Gates (see images of cabinet attached) on:
Wed 10 March 4pm
Wed 17 March 6.30pm

All of whom came to the Guild recently to meet a number of Brethren and hear about the Guild's past and present goals. We hope to welcome them to Ordinary Meetings soon.

Events and Exhibitions October 2009

Notice of current exhibitions:

“Together”
Jane McAdam Freud and McDermott
@ Gradidge Room, 6 Queen Square, London
11th -18th October


Timothy Mark Gallery, 20 New Quebec St, London
Making the Future: Selling exhibition of today’s key designer makers
Martin Grierson
6th September – 4th October

The Stour Gallery, Warwickshire
Autumn Exhibition
Peter Hayes
26th September – 24th October

Galerie Hélène Porée, 1 rue de l’Odeon, Paris
Katherine Coleman Solo Exhibition
8 – 31st October

Geedon Gallery Autumn Exhibition, Essex
Edmund Fairfax –Lucy / Jacqueline Taber / A Lincoln Taber
01206728587 / 01206729151
3rd -18th October








‘The Network’ glass installation @ “The Ivy” restaurant in London
Michael Petry

Open Studio, 22 Grove Terrace, Highgate – London NW5
Jane Cox
11am – 5pm
10 – 11 and 17 – 18 October

Origin @ Somerset House, Strand, London
Regina Heintz
6/11 October

Wandsworth Open House
Gilbert Whyman
3rd - 4th and 10th - 11th October
70 Erpingham Road, Putney SW15

Barcelona 2

I am coming to the end of my trip and am making the most of Spanish cuisine.

My family took me to a restaurant on the 'beach' to eat black paella and octopus. Although the paella look burnt, it is in fact cooked with a lot of squid ink which has a wonderful taste.

The octopus on the other hand is very simply cooked and cut, then sprinkled with paprika and sea salt - mmm!

My last interview was another favourite. I had wanted to meet this Toni Cumella right from the start - just have a look at their website:www.cumella.net/quisom.htm you need to know a bit of French or Spanish to understand the Catalan.

Right from the start of our talk he confessed that it was his privileged upbringing, surrounded by intellectuals and artists that enabled him to see a future in his craft. He understands the importance of quality and open-mindedness and fears that a lot of traditional craftsmen in Spain are handicapped by only looking towards the passed instead of searching for opportunities in the future.

It all comes down to education and on that note he gave me a tour round the factory. Unfortunately it was the last day before the summer holidays officially start and the 10 workmen had left. However, his son was there and he is taking an active role in the company.


Toni showed me how they display the different glaze colours and the oven he had dezined that can be lifted up and over a second crate of ceramics.

While I was in Barcelona there was an exhibition of his latest
project: Villa Nurbs - www.ruiz-geli.com/04_html/04_villanurbs.html

Worth a look even if the images take a little while to download.
I feel I have learnt so much and met such amazing people that it is going to take a while for everything to sink in.

The influence of Gaudi and the Catalan "Modernist movement" is very strong and I wish all regions of Spain could boast of a creative movement.

Spain is so varied in scenery, culture, food and personalities. It makes it a difficult country to decipher or generalize about. My first interview with Mercedes Valcárcel from the "Fundación Española para la Innovación de la Artesanía"comes to mind when she expressed the difficulties of communicating between the different regions, each with its own local government and ways of doing things.

On one of my last evenings I was very lucky to get some tickets to a guitar concert in the famous

Palau de la Música Catalana

It was a recital of famous Spanish music and a lovely way to end this trip.



I left Barcelona and joined friends in the countryside outside Gerona for a week, eating well, sleeping well and soaking in the sun.

Thank you for dipping into my whereabouts from time to time and do come to the exhibition when it is up next month.

If you have any questions about the people I met or places I visited, don't hesitate to get in touch.

Warmest wishes
Monica

Barcelona 1

My first interview is with ‘Artesania Catalana’, I was told at the beginning of my trip that Catalunia is the most advanced province in terms of helping crafts gain recognition.

This office was set up specifically to promote traditional and contemporary crafts. They have a gallery space, publish a monthly magazine called “”, and they organize different projects. Significantly Barcelona has some of the best schools in ceramics, graphics and design. It also has more Museums than other provinces and the Decorative Arts museum is better than the one in Madrid!

Since 2007 they have started putting modern designers together with traditional craftsmen to produce new products using the traditional methods. They have had some success, although when I asked where could I see this collection of objects I was told that the objects belonged to the designers so there was no link between them, they where trying to produce a website with all the objects on them.

The offices where situated in the old part of the city and it was interesting to see that here you do find antique shops selling Spanish antiques other than religious artifacts. I also saw workshops for upholsterers and furniture restorers. I arrived early for the interview so that I could have a quick peak at the famous “Bour” Market.


On the Wednesday I had a busy day first seeing Oscar Abba, an Italian jeweler living in Barcelona for a very long time.

He studied Philosophy at University in Rome and then came to Barcelona to do jewelry at the famous Massana School.

He admits to being a bit of an odd ball and prefers to work in projects where his client asks him to produce something relating to a piece of art or building. He has had commissions from the Porche Foundation and the V&A.


We talked more about philosophy over a cup of coffee.

I then went to see Leo.

He and his partner set up a gallery (klimt@klimt02.net) specializing in contemporary jewelry and a website that offers a very comprehensive view of the “advent guard” jewelry scene. I was surprised that no one had asked them their opinions on how to market/improve Spanish jewelry, neither the government, or the schools.




In the afternoon I went to see the ONLY wallpaper producers in Spain. I was quite excited about this because as some of you know I am a Trustee of the Wallpaper History Society, so this meeting was a must!


Dani is the third generation in the family working in the firm and the and his brothers have revolutionized the business by getting famous designers to produce designs for them and improving distribution so that the can deliver anywhere in Spain within 24 hours. The get all their papers printed in Valencia and use rollers, no digital printing yet. This year is the first year they are also producing some fabrics. www.trestintas.com

You can see their product in Chelsea Harbour!

My final picture was taken inside the famous design shop Vincom, full of fab gadgets we can probably live without, but a really well designed shop with very tasteful things, well worth a visit.

They had an exhibition on the Barbie phenomenon, which I had to resist.

On my way to Barcelona

From the mountains I drive to Cardona and fail to see the salt rock sculptor!

Move on to Vic-Sau on Friday, feel very pleased with myself for choosing such a beautiful spot for my birthday!

Meet up with Joan who shows me some of the projects he and his partner have done.




They are currently working with a famous Catalan architect to make a pavilion in the Shanghai Expo in 2010.

Their first client has a special events venue situated in a parkland full of pieces of sculpture and artwork and Juan’s work.


Really interesting, and then we also see the owners latest project turning his family's farmhouse into a rental property for artists. All the rooms have a different theme designed by different artists – very entertaining.


On Saturday I went to see my Godmother Manuela in her home town of Terrassa... and she took me out to her coutry club for lunch. The Club used to be in the country, but is now very much in the suburbs of Terrassa. In the last 40 years Spain's towns and cities have mushroomed in size and and offten with very bad planning.


On Sunday I finally drove to Barcelona and said good buy to the car. I can't quite belive the road trip is over.






I have family here and am staying with my aunt and unkle. On my second day there they took me to the famous Gaudi park 'el Parque de Guell' - a treat for the photographer.



I also went to see one of his houses and the Palau de Musica which is a very fine example of Spanish Art Nouveau.

Well, I don't really have to point out the cultural highlights of Barcelona, there is an awful lot to see and do and if ou haven't been you should spend a week end here. Perhaps not in July or August, too hot.

In the Pyreenes

I chose to come here for a bit of rest bite and to get a little writing done, but it was so lovely I did more resting than writing! Oops…


I spent two days in Vielha, very near the French border. This village feels a bit like an Alpine skiing village, and although the hotel had a great swimming pool and amazing views, after two days I was ready to reach Seu d’Urgel.







Seu d'Urgell is famous for its "Cathedral, a beautiful example of the Italian-influenced Romanesque style of Catalonia in the 11th and 12th centuries. Also outstanding are the Romanesque church of Sant Miquel, from the 11th century, and the Sagrada Familia, the City Hall, from the 15th century, and a Diocesan Museum, which I did go and see, it holds a valuable manuscript called the Beatus de Lièbana which was impressive.

This town felt very different to Vielha, shame they where repaving all the roads in the old town, so it was a bit disruptive, but I took a couple of pics to give you an idea.

On the second day, I found a craft shop/gallery in the old town run by a a guy called Antonio,







a wood restorer who tells me to go to the Eco Museu in Esterri d’Aneu. It’s only an hour and a half back in the direction of Vielha… but I go.

The Museum is a restored farmhouse of the 18th century and enough objects have been donated to give the place a lived in atmosphere. The village is made of stone and you can really imagine how cold and isolated the mountains could get in winter.



I meet Ignasi Ros who showed me the collection and the shop.

He is passionate about the traditional crafts of the Pyrenean area. He has documented the last important ceramicists in the area and has had reproductions made for the shop.

He admits that the younger generation of potters are very reluctant to copy old things and as for weavers he has only found one…




Seu d'Urgel is also famous for its outdoor activities and the canoeing and Kayaking championships where held here not too long ago. Despite being up here in the mountains, the heat seems to be following me and I watch the kayaking with a little bit of jealousy.


I left feeling I had not done enough in this region.

From Valencia to the Pyrenees

When I get to a place I tend to spend at least half a day walking around just soaking everything in and looking at shops and watching people.

While in Valencia I walked past a jewelry shop, which really caught my eye. The jewelry was bold, bright, contemporary but classic. It stuck in my mind so I went back to ask if the designers where Spanish.

Trinidad Gracia Bensa and her husband Jose Maldonado are the jewelry designers and Trinidad is from a third

generation of Jewelry makers. They both have degrees in fine art and Trinidad went to do a course in West Dean. She now also spends time teaching video art at the art college and she works with the art department allowing students to use her shop as a gallery.

The Shop is unusual because you can see the jewelry makers at work, I think there are three in total.

Also there is a wonderful safe room in the basement which Trinidad showed me.
My photographs are not very good, if you want to see better images of their work have a look at the website: www.trinidadgracia.es

On Saturday morning I picked up my good friend William Smalley from the airport and we headed north for the weekend. I have wanted to see a small village called Albarracin, outside Teruel for many years,

it is a bit of a tourist destination and I think I read about it in a book by Laurie Lee called: ‘As I Walked out one Mid-summers' Morning’, not sure...

Anyway we went north specifically to see it and here are a few pictures of the village

…. and Will. It is wonderfully atmospheric and the drive there is also great, you suddenly start descending from a very dry flat landscape into a gorge with a fast running river at the bottom, green and leafy, you look up to see this village climbing up the side of the cliff above you and it is exactly as it was in the 14th century, it even has the gutters running down the middle of the narrow streets. We saw a lady empty her bucket into the drain just as the villagers have always done.


If you have been hearing about the many fires Spain is suffering due to the very high temperatures, then you may want to know that although we where in the Teruel area, we did not see any smoke! The heat has been impressive and I am looking forward to going up into the mountains.

I dropped Will off the next day at the train station in Zaragoza after a very quick lunch and I headed into the Pyrenees, quite a long drive but stunning scenery.

Driving through flat barren countryside towards lush green mountains.