A Notebook of Pins
The Garden of Love, Kevin Coates
A Notebook of Pins, Kevin Coates’ collection of pins and their accompanying notes are showing at the Harley Gallery in Welbeck until Christmas
This group of 20 wonderfully detailed pins started while Coates was working at London’s Wallace Collection as associate artist and many are inspired by pieces in the Collection. Coates uses these design sources to create elaborate frameworks giving them an extra visual dimension. Each pin – in fact they are more miniature sculptures than pins – is mounted on a page of his notebook which includes sketches, design notes, ideas for colours and materials. This combination of sketch book and finished piece highlights Coates’ historicism, demonstrating his great knowledge, and love, of historic sources as well as giving us a fascinating peak into his design process.
For example, The Garden of Love, a classical archway framing the kissing figures of Pierrot and Columbine, is surrounded by architectural sketches as well as references to Watteau – one of the Wallace Collection’s stars – and Rubens. And in an interesting insight into Coates as goldsmith, there are arrows indicating what each component of the archway should be made of – ebony, silver and gold. The background for Newton’s Apple, a glistening orange apple cupped in a golden hand, shows similar design notes, listing hollow cast double rivet coral and apple green jade as materials.
www.harleygallery.co.uk
