Hyperrealist sculptures of lichen, works crafted from salmon skin, and monumental bells are among the works in a major exhibition of artists straddling the art-craft divide, curated by Peter Randall-Page RA and on show at MAKE Southwest.
For Flora Pearson, MAKE Southwest Exhibitions Manager, Artful Craft reflects the regeneration taking place at the organisation and within craft itself: “It feels very timely that we are leaning into this debate at a time when our organisation is celebrating change. As advocates and champions of craft and traditional skills since the 1950s, we’ve seen plenty of trends one way or the other towards the functional or the non-functional, the political or non-political, and the traditional and the digital. The conclusion would have to be that art and craft together are a perfect microbiome; art without craft is the poorer for it, and likewise craft without art."
Artful Craft explores the nature of craft, art, and design in the 21st century addressing the labels, status, and boundaries commonly associated with it as well as the impact new technologies, such as digital design and rapid prototyping, have had on transforming how craft is now perceived.
The exhibition is curated by MAKE Southwest president and renowned sculptor Peter Randall-Page RA, who invited globally recognised artists whose work, like his own, crosses boundaries by blending fine art concepts with elements of traditional craft processes. These exhibitors are David Nash RA OBE; Susan Derges; Halima Cassell MBE; David Mach RA; Tavs Jorgensen; Sarah Gillespie; and Marcus Vergette. These exhibitors were invited to nominate an additional artist whose work had significance for them to take part in the exhibition. Those chosen include a mixture of early career artists, established artists who have been influential in some way, or someone whose work addresses the art/craft theme of the show.