We’re delighted to be returning to The Town House on Fournier Street in the heart of Spitalfields for an event co-curated with The Town House proprietor Fiona Atkins.
The building dates from 1720 where silk weavers originally worked and plied their trade.
In addition to a showcase of our artist-designed fabrics and wallpapers we’ll be presenting an exhibition entitled ‘Albion - A Celebration of Britain In Print’ featuring limited edition prints by St Jude’s co-founder Angie Lewin and printmaker Christopher Brown.
Christopher Brown was born in London in 1953. He attended the Royal College of Art where he was introduced to, and eventually assisted, Edward Bawden, the master of the linocut. It was Bawden who encouraged him to explore this medium.
Since then, Christopher has exhibited at the Michael Parkin Gallery, The Royal Academy, The Fry Gallery, The Fine Art Society and the Victoria & Albert Museum.
We’ll also be launching Christopher Brown’s ‘Albion’ wallpaper, his first for St Jude’s, along with Mark Hearld’s ‘Squirrel and Sunflower’ fabric and Sheila Robinson’s ‘Monkeys and Birds’ wallpaper.
‘Monkeys and Birds’ was designed in 1958 by printmaker Sheila Robinson (1925-1988) and was printed by hand to decorate the walls of Cage Cottage, the family home in Great Bardfield. The design originates from Sheila’s hand cut linocut blocks.
A chapter profiling Sheila's work features in 'Bawden, Ravilious and the Artists of Great Bardfield' published by the V&A.
As well as the original colour way, we've worked closely with Sheila’s daughter, the printmaker and painter Chloë Cheese, to create two additional colour ways.
Visit us at The Town House, 5 Fournier Street, London E1 6QE from Tuesday 20th until Sunday 25th September. Open Tuesday 11am-8pm, Wednesday-Friday 11am-6pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am-5pm.
Christopher Brown's 'Albion' linocut
Christopher Brown cutting his 'Albion' linocut
Angie Lewin's 'Sea Pinks' wood engraving
Mark Hearld's 'Squirrel and Sunflower' fabric
Sheila Robinson's 'Monkeys and Birds' wallpaper
If you're visiting Edinburgh during August and are flying in or out of the airport, do look out for the Local Heroes pop-up exhibition and shop.
Curated by Dr Stacey Hunter, the project's nine designers were asked to ‘reimagine the souvenir’ and produce a unique travel-themed design object. Running from 1–31 August 2016 in partnership with Creative Edinburgh and Creative Dundee it celebrates Scotland’s contemporary designers who embrace colour, pattern and innovative techniques and materials.
The designers involved in the project include our friends Karen Mabon and Tom Pigeon (Karen is also taking part in our current Editions & Objects exhibition at Yorkshire Sculpture Park).
Speaking ahead of the opening of the exhibition curator and Local Heroes Director Dr Stacey Hunter said:
“For many passengers Local Heroes will be their first impression of Scotland and will also form part of a fond farewell. Design is one of the most accessible expressions of 21st century creativity and I’m so excited that we can present a snapshot of Scotland’s colourful and confident design scene at such a unique location. We are surrounded by designers working on the most amazing projects - they trade, collaborate and work internationally. So where is it? Why can’t we see it?! I wanted to produce an ambitious project that showed Scottish design through the lens I looked through. It was also important to me to show Scottish designers that they are noticed and appreciated - and that’s where the name Local Heroes came from.”
Find out more about the Local Heroes project via their website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Local Heroes pop-up exhibition and shop at Edinburgh Airport (photo: Ross Fraser McLean / StudioRoRo)
Designer Karen Mabon (photo: Future Positive Studio)
Karen Mabon's umbrella/sunshade (photo: Stuart McClay Photography)
Karen Mabon working in the studio (photo: Future Positive Studio)
Tom Pigeon's neckpiece (photo: Stuart McClay Photography)
Tom Pigeon's studio (photo: Future Positive Studio)
Gabriella Marcella's Tropical beach towels
Gabriella Marcella in the studio (photo: Future Positive Studio)
The Local Heroes pop-up exhibition and shop at Edinburgh Airport (photo: Ross Fraser McLean / StudioRoRo)
As part of our Editions & Objects exhibition at Yorkshire Sculpture Park we have included a selection of original works by artists Mark Hearld and Emily Sutton which we're pleased to share below.
If you'd like to discuss the purchase of any of these framed originals, please contact Yorkshire Sculpture Park by telephone on 01924 832631.
Mark Hearld 'Swan Flight' original collage
Paper size: 75 x 56cm Framed size: 92 x 72cm £950.00 (see photographs below for framing style)
Emily Sutton 'Comptoir de la Gastronomie, Paris' original ink and watercolour
Paper size: 48 x 38cm Framed size: 65 x 56cm £725.00
Mark Hearld 'Hooded Crow, Hadrian's Villa' original collage
Paper size: 75 x 56cm Framed size: 92 x 72cm £950.00 (photographed here in situ at YSP)
Mark Hearld 'Le Meridiana Wild Boar' original collage
Paper size: 75 x 56cm Framed size: 92 x 72cm £950.00 (photographed here in situ at YSP)
Emily Sutton 'La Chapellerie, Paris' original watercolour
Paper size: 48 x 38cm Framed size: 65 x 56cm £725.00
Further to our post about Mark Hearld's now sold out slipcast pigeons for our Editions & Objects exhibition at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, we're pleased to share details of the platters Mark has also produced.
The 38cm diameter platters are individually decorated using cobalt manganese and copper stains, each one slipcast in Stoke-On-Trent and inspired by mid-20th Century English Delft ceramics. Priced at £395.00 each, the platters are available from Yorkshire Sculpture Park - further details via their website or by telephoning 01924 832631.
Mark Hearld slipcast platter - Cockerel One
Mark Hearld slipcast platter - Cockerel One (reverse)
Mark Hearld slipcast platter - Crow
Mark Hearld slipcast platter - Crow (reverse)
Mark Hearld slipcast platter - Owl One
Mark Hearld slipcast platter - Owl One (reverse)
Mark Hearld slipcast platter - Doe
Mark Hearld slipcast platter - Doe (reverse)
Mark Hearld slipcast platter - Hoopoe One
Mark Hearld slipcast platter - Hoopoe One (reverse)
Mark Hearld slipcast platter - Song Thrush
Mark Hearld slipcast platter - Song Thrush (reverse)
Mark Hearld slipcast platter - Owl Two
Mark Hearld slipcast platter - Owl Two (reverse)
Mark Hearld slipcast platter - Hoopoe Two
Mark Hearld slipcast platter - Hoopoe Two (reverse)
Many thanks to Jonty Wilde for photographing these slipcast platters.
As part of our Editions & Objects exhibition at Yorkshire Sculpture Park (which runs until the end of October 2016) Mark Hearld has produced a small edition of ceramic pigeons especially for the event.
The pigeons have been modelled by Mark using clay and then slipcast at the Potteries in Stoke-on-Trent. Mark has then used a mixture of glazes, oxides and stains to decorate each piece, all of which take inspiration from Pablo Picasso’s pigeon paintings.
At the time of writing, a small number of these uniquely decorated pieces are available. /// UPDATE: All of Mark Hearld's pigeons have now sold - sign up for our e-mail newsletter for news of future ceramic works from Mark ///
Mark Hearld's Blue/Ochre Slipware Pigeon (view one)
Mark Hearld's Blue/Ochre Slipcast Pigeon (view two)
Mark Hearld's Black/Duck Egg Blue Slipcast Pigeon (view one)
Mark Hearld's Black/Duck Egg Blue Slipcast Pigeon (view two)
Mark Hearld's Blue/Peach Slipcast Pigeon (view one)
Mark Hearld's Blue/Peach Slipcast Pigeon (view two)
Mark Hearld's Black/White with Red Ring Slipcast Pigeon (view one)
Mark Hearld's Black/White with Red Ring Slipcast Pigeon (view two)
Mark Hearld's White/Blue Slipcast Pigeon (view one)
Mark Hearld's White/Blue Slipcast Pigeon (view two)
Many thanks to Jonty Wilde for photographing these slipcast pigeons.
Mark Hearld has curated a new exhibition at Scarborough Art Gallery entitled 'All Creatures...' for which he has selected specimens of taxidermy from the Scarborough Collections.
Mark shared some of the details of this new exhibition with us...
"It has been a delight to take Scarborough's fantastic natural history collection out of the stores and display it afresh - a Galápagos tortoise and an egg from the extinct Great Auk are among many scientifically significant specimens. I took great pleasure in displaying a pair of mute swans and a group coughs restored and remounted for the exhibition by York taxidermist David Astley against aquamarine painted walls in the gallery. The exhibition is collage of forms in space and beauty in nature."
Mark has also created three new works of his own for the exhibition and these collages (of Grey Plovers, a Peregrine Falcon and a Herring gull) will become part of Scarborough Museum Trust's collection. and you'll have a chance to see Mark's largest linocut yet.
Mark takes inspiration from his wonder at the natural world, with animals and plants at the heart of his work. His work encompasses a range of different artistic forms including limited edition prints, unique paintings, collages, hand-painted ceramics. He also designs a range of fabrics and wallpaper for St Jude's.
Scarborough Museums Trust collections manager Jennifer Dunne explains...
"Mark’s work is known and admired around the world, so we’re delighted to have three new images of his as part of the Collections. His view on our taxidermy specimens is unique – visitors to the gallery will see them in a way they’ve never been seen before.”
The exhibition runs at Scarborough Art Gallery until 25th September 2016. Find out more from the Scarborough Museums Trust website.
Many thanks to everyone who joined us at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop yesterday for the launch of Score Tae The Toor, a handmade book and remix CD inspired by the Concrete Antenna sound installation at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop created by Simon Kirby, Tommy Perman and Rob St John and developed from our previous Concrete Antenna 12" vinyl/print package.
The trio gave a set of musicians access to their sound archive, tower instruments and compositions, and asked them to re-imagine the sited material created for the installation. Seven writers were asked to write pieces inspired by the tower and the installation, with pieces covering architecture, memory, archives, urban ecology and public art, written as essays, poetry and morse code.
Named after a phrase used by fishermen in the Firth of Forth using tall buildings on the Edinburgh skyline to orientate their sailing, Score Tae The Toor is a limited edition publication printed using a variety of techniques including risography, lithography, letterpress and computer controlled pen and knife plotters. Each cover features a unique numbered frame from an animation created by Tommy Perman.
Find out more and order a copy of Score Tae The Toor via our Random Spectacular website
Many thanks to Andy Catlin for his photos of the opening event. You can view more via Andy's Facebook page.