Irish Arts Review

Design ForumAuthor(s): Vincent O'SheaSource: Irish Arts Review (2002-), Vol. 24, Irish Craft 2007: The Annual Craft Edition of the"Irish Arts Review" (2007), pp. 5-7Published by: Irish Arts ReviewStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25503661 .

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rum Fnom international showcases to exhibitions for newcomers,

the exhibitions programme at the National Craft Gallen/

continues to inspire, writes Vincent O'Shea

Groundbreaking, exciting and

innovative; the National Craft

Gallery's exhibition programme

since it opened its doors in 2000 has

been highly successful. Set up to

support work that broadens

perceptions of craft and its cultural and

commercial value, the National Craft

Gallery is proud to showcase the

confidence, skill and talent of Irish

makers. We are also delighted to

introduce tens of thousands of visitors

a year, to groundbreaking international

work. Talented makers and imaginative

curators are responsible for our

critically acclaimed Exhibitions

Programme. Textiles, glass, ceramics,

jewellery, furniture, baskets... this

major public space stimulates

practitioners and captures the

imagination of visitors. The first

exhibition of 2006 was arguably the

most important. A major retrospective

of the Kilkenny Design workshops,

Designing Ireland was a wonderful

celebration of Ireland's visual heritage.

From February to April, both galleries

were filled with a vast collection of

original products, gathered together

with painstaking research by curator

Joanna Quinn.

The formative influences on Irish

woodturningwere explored next in

Tracing the Line. Featuring both

historical pieces and new work, this

exceptionally beautiful exhibition paid

tribute to seven pioneering artists:

Ireland's Liam O'Neill and Ciaran Forbes;

American David Ellsworth; Ray Key and

Jim Partridge from the UK; Australia's

Richard Raffan; and Maria van Kesteren

from Holland. Tracing the Line was

curated by Liam Flynn, one of Ireland's H

leading woodturners. H

In June the critically acclaimed Forty H

Shades of Green finally came home. H

One of the Crafts Council of Ireland's H

most ambitious projects, it featured the H

work of some of Ireland's finest artists H

and craftspeople. Forty Shades was the H

opening exhibition for Cork 2005 and H has wowed audiences as far afield as H

Memphis and Lithuania. This snapshot H

of contemporary art practice in Ireland H

was curated by Brian Kennedy. Once H

more in the summer, the gallery H

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1 Designing Ireland

2 Dominie Nash for Quilt Art

3 Jim Partridge for Tracing the Line

4 Peadar Lamb for The Light Fantastic

5 Ting-Shao for Ceramics Ireland

6 Cormac Boydell for Contemporary Ceramics

7 John Boyd Smith for Wild Geese

8 Alva Gallagher for Seomra

9 Eva Dorney for Goldsmithing and

Jewellery Design Graduate Exhibition

opened its doors to graduates of the

Crafts Council of Ireland's Pottery

Design and Skills Course. Functional

ware, one-off designs and sculptural

forms - the quality of work was

stunning and, not surprisingly, it sold

out within days of opening.

During Kilkenny Arts Festival in

August there was a major celebration of

ceramics with two exciting exhibitions:

Emerging Ceramics and Ceramics

Ireland International Festival, which

featured the work of some of the

world's most influential artists.

Autumn saw the gallery playing host

to an extraordinary family. Acclaimed

silversmiths and applied artists

Michael McCrory, Deirdre McCrory and

their daughter Cara Murphy filled the

space with beautifully crafted work in

silver. Curated by Danae Kindness,

Silver Connections combined cutting

edge design, craftsmanship and

mastery of materials to make this a

visual tour de force.

Once again, the year ended with the

hugely successful Collectors Events,

one in the gallery in Kilkenny and a

second at the prestigious Hunt

Museum in Limerick. These specially

selected events are aimed at

encouraging collectors to invest in

contemporary craft.

On top of a strong exhibitions

programme at home, the National Craft

Gallery also travelled extensively. The

most successful trip was to SOFA

Chicago in November 2006. This was

the first time Ireland was represented at

the world-renowned Annual Exposition

of Sculpture Objects and Functional Art

and it exceeded all expectations.

The Crafts Council of Ireland had two

booths, one featuring the work of fifteen

of our leading craftspeople and a second

showing Forty Shades of Green. Visitors

queued round the block to see the best

Ireland has to offer and both showcases

also received major critical acclaim in

the American press. Most importantly,

the Crafts Council managed to secure

international representation for many of

our craftspeople.

The exhibitions programme for 200?

started with two major ceramics

exhibitions. Irish Contemporary

Ceramics showcased the skills of thirty

four of the country's leading practitioners

while Tradition Transformed introduced

an Irish audience to groundbreaking

ceramics from Korea.

The end of March saw one of the most

exciting openings ever held in the

National Craft Gallery, Wild Geese: The

Irish in America celebrated the Irish

roots of major American artists. Curated

by Kevin O'Dwyer, this exhibition

examined the creativity and artistry of

descendants of the Wild Geese. Most of

them flocked to Kilkenny with family and

friends for the opening weekend, which

included a hugely successful seminar

entitled 'Making It in the USA'.

Craft and design joined forces next

for Avantcraft. Textiles, fashion,

jewellery, furniture, glass and ceramics

filled the gallery - all the result of an

inspiring Crafts Council of Ireland

initiative. Leading designers and

makers from Ireland, France, Spain and

Portugal worked together to develop

exciting new products. The work was

premiered in Ireland before touring

throughout Europe.

In June and July both galleries

attracted a huge number of visitors

with what proved to be two very

popular exhibitions. Quilt Art 20

honoured an extraordinary collective of

international artists who have ensured

their art form is at the forefront of

contemporary textile art. Fresh from its

success in Paris, Seomra featured one

of-a-kind contemporary furniture and

decorative objects, all created by some

5

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THE ANNUAL CRAFT EDITION OF THE IRISH ARTS REVIEW 200?

of Ireland's top craftspeople.

Again this year, trainees from the

Crafts Council of Ireland's Goldsmithing

and Jewellery Design 8c Skills Course

were welcomed into the gallery for the

annual two-week graduate exhibition.

This wonderful platform for a new

generation of artists is always one of the

most anticipated events on the calendar.

During the Kilkenny Arts Festival, the

National Craft Gallery unveiled two

important exhibitions. The Light

Fantastic: Irish Stained Glass Art

showcased contemporary artists'take on

this historically important art form. A Life

In Colour paid tribute to one of Ireland's

most successful artists. In its first ever

lifetime achievement solo exhibition, the

gallery traced the remarkable career of

ceramicist John ffrench, which has

lasted over half a century.

In creating this autumn's showcase,

curator Brian Kennedy has chosen an

exhibition concept entitled Ecology,

Mythology and Technology (EMT).

Marrying these concepts with the

pioneers of Irish design, Kennedy

poses questions about the challenges

that face us over the next decade.

Ecology will feature furniture design

with sustainability as its driving force.

Designers have addressed issues of

recycling while working with

sustainable and native materials.

Mythology evaluates traditional and

vernacular design as opportunities for

innovation rather than nostalgia. Here,

the artists have drawn from our history

without aping it.

Technology tackles the changing face

of urban Ireland. Inspired by the current

debate on higher densities and taller

buildings, designers have come up with

innovative solutions for apartment

living. The architectural brief for each of

the themes was prepared by three

leading Irish architectural practices:

Solearth Architects (Ecology), Dominic

Stevens (Mythology), and BCDH

Architects (Technology) EMT presented an opportunity for

Irish craftspeople to turn away from the

demands of the market place and be

inspired by their own philosophies,

desires and dreams. Ecology,

Mythology and Technology continues

into late January 2008.

Vincent O'Shea is Exhibitions Programme Manager at

the National Craft Gallery.

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