bespoke

8 June - 8 September 2007

From Doily Tables with textured surfaces to iridescent glass hangings, Bespoke features pieces for the home by six talented artists whose work can also be commissioned to suit individual interiors. Bespoke offers a unique opportunity to engage with artists to create a truly original and highly individual work for a domestic interior.

Amy Cushing

Amy Cushing creates wall hangings to any size and in any colour which are simple in form allowing the natural beauty of the glass to shine through. She uses metallic and iridescent coatings when fusing glass to accentuate the depth and contrast in the layers. Each glass section is hand crafted with precious metallic coatings, before being hand drilled and thread onto transparent polymer line and suspended in lengths to create mobile installations that hang with a sense of weightlessness and fragility. It is only in this form that one can truly experience the endless colour combinations and iridescent transformations that take place in the glass according to the change of light.

Aiveen Daly creates beautifully upholstered chairs with a difference -- modernising vintage furniture to create a collection of individual gems. Her traditional training is evident using much buttoning, pleating and ruching to add texture and interest to her pieces. The collection is contemporary and fun which is reflected in the playful names such as 'Moneypenny' (a Herringbone tweed chair with handmade frill, piping and buttoned suit detailing), 'Best in Show' (1950's octagonal metal framed chair with crinkle cut detailing and detachable rosette) and 'Flapper' (linen with lace panels, hand stitching and pleating).

Sarah Kay

Sarah Kay designs witty contemporary furniture in a wide range of woods which combine functionality with an elegant aesthetic. Kay uses traditional techniques in an unconventional way using charm and visual intrigue. Her work is largely commission based: "I find that my job is to first understand what it is my client wants; some have definite ideas whereas others have only a notion. I need to be interpreter, designer, technician and along the way tutor. It requires a leap of faith on the part of a client, especially if they have never commissioned before and I feel a deep responsibility to make it an informative and pleasurable process from start to finish.

Natasha Kerr

Artist, historian, designer, Natasha Kerr creates one-off textile portraits that explore the hidden and unspoken, from the ghosts of the past to a elaboration of the present. Kerr's starting point is always the photographic image and the story that surrounds its significance. For commissioned pictures, Kerr pieces
together the theme and direction the work should take through detailed dialogue with her clients. She works slowly and intuitively. Building the picture with many elements, she can often be seen spending hours writing the story of the subject's life which she transcribes onto the work using a tiny paint brush and Indian ink. She works on a ground cloth of antique linen building the picture through silk screen printing, hand painted backgrounds, appliqué and hand stitching to create a truly personal image.

Margaret O'Rorke

Margaret O'Rorke uses the translucency of high-fired porcelain to create hand thrown sculptural lighting. From free standing lamps to wall hung installations, Margaret's lights suffuse radiance like a sun or a magical flower. Margaret has worked to commission for hotels, banks and private clients. Her ideas stem from the nature of the material and the forms that grow on the potters wheel. Taking part in exhibitions and workshops in Australia, Denmark USA and working in the Ryoji Koie studio in Japan have all influenced her work and development as a maker.

 

Liske Russell

Liske Russell de Boer produces one-off pieces of furniture to commission. She was the recipient of the Crafts Council's prestigious Next Move Award for
new graduates from 2004-2006, during which time she exhibited in a range of
galleries and exhibitions throughout the UK. Much of Liske's work explores textural effects, rough / smooth / pattern, used in simple, well proportioned and well made furniture - producing unusual blends of old and new. Her Doily Table series is based around a simple idea of combining straightforward table forms with a rich, yet subtle, surface treatment using pattern.