HANDmade at Mushroom Works
Furniture-maker Nick James is the star exhibit in HANDmade, a solo show of his work at Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s Mushroom Works (until 14 November)
The exhibition is divided into three sections with the first showcasing James’s newly launched range of limited edition furniture and the second featuring displays about his philosophy – it’s all very ethical with James planting a new tree for every piece he makes – and different woods. But it’s the final section which is the really interesting bit, as James has moved his whole studio into the Mushroom Works’ back gallery and will, for the next six weeks, be hard at work there for everyone to see – ‘a bit like a monkey in a zoo’, he says.
The idea is to show people what furniture making is all about and allow them to watch a walnut and oak sideboard grow from a pile of wood. It’s also about the commissioning process something James says he trying to ‘demystify’. So all the supporting documentation will be on display as well, including the designs, the initial brief, the correspondence between James and the clients and receipts from the timber yard. Visitors will be encouraged to come back several times so they can watch the work (and the paperwork) grow and it’s also going to be streamed on the internet so just log on here if you can’t be there in person (streamed live Wed-Sat 12-5pm).
