'All Wired Up' artist Celia Smith

Celia Smith uses wire to create sculptures. Each sculpture she makes is a three-dimensional drawing with the wires representing a quality of line. Birds are her main inspiration; capturing their movement and character are her primary concern.  Celia finds that wire has a spontaneity that can give her sculptures a feeling of life and energy.

Celia says, 'Christine Fletcher-Jones from Walford Mill Crafts approached me to be a part of an exhibition called ‘All Wired Up’ over a year ago.  It’s a show I very much wanted to be a part of, its always fascinating to see how other makers create with wire.  For the show I have made a selection of wall pieces and sculptures.  I have focused on birds that you might see on the river next to the mill – apart from the guillemots and puffins! 

I wanted to make one large sculpture for the show and after having a the pleasure of sitting in a bird hide sketching a very obliging Heron it had to be this bird that I made.   I wanted to replicate the lines I made in my sketches as much as possible, and the feeling of a cloak of feathers.  I had some old steel wires that had the texture I wanted and helped to give the muted grey colour of the feathers.  Going out drawing birds is a very important part of my work – it’s the starting point for all my sculptures.'

All Wired up runs from 2nd March until 14th April 2013, at Walford Mill Crafts in Wimborne.  Please visit Walford Mill Crafts website to find out more.

On the BBC

There are two programmes from the BBC that may interest readers of this blog. Coming soon to BBC Two is Mastercrafts, a new six-part series presented by Monty Don, exploring the way of life that comes with being a top craftsman.

"The original idea behind the series," he says, "was that I would try my hand at all the different skills, but that proved impractical because it would take far too long, so instead we introduced people who really wanted to try. It's my one regret that I had to film it rather than do it."

'Studying under some of the country's leading master craftsmen and women, three hopefuls in each programme spend six weeks learning the basics of their chosen skill, ready to compete for the chance to continue on a more formal basis their training in metal work, woodcraft, stone masonry, glass-making, thatching and weaving. Monty, meanwhile, examines the work that goes into each craft and its often forgotten history.'



Meanwhile, over on BBC Radio 4, Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum presents A History of the World in 100 Objects. The programmes will travel through two million years from the earliest object in the collection to retell the history of humanity through the objects we have made. Each week will be tied to a particular theme, such as 'after the ice age' or 'the beginning of science and literature', and the programmes will broadcast in three blocks, in January, May and August.

What is Craft?

…today?

A search for the authentic experience, the one-of-a-kind and the unique has fed our interest in craft since the nineteenth century. The traces of the hand that remain in an object - its irregularity of surface, its imperfection, its spontaneity - contrast with industrially-produced objects. Today, innovative ideas, technologies, materials, and environments are challenging craftsmen to experiment with new forms of expression, blurring the boundaries traditionally thought to separate art, craft and design.

No longer defined as craft, art or design, these newcomers raise questions about what “handwork” or “handcraft” means today and what the role of the hand might be in the making of objects in the future. Many of the objects that challenge the definition of craft are still carefully handmade but used or set in new and surprising contexts.

…in education?

Craft fulfils different functions for different individuals. For some, it is therapeutic, for others, it is a vehicle for communication. For others still, a craft may be developed into a career or a window to the individual’s personal uniqueness. Craft is a valuable tool that opens doors, incites dreams and builds bridges. Craft is a vehicle for learning basic educational skills and identifying abilities.

Craft also serves an equal purpose in the total education of the whole individual. The power that is experienced when one creates can stretch boundaries and defy limitations.

…in general?

Craft emphasises five primary media – ceramics, glass, textiles, wood, metal - and how these materials are manipulated.

No single definition of the word satisfies the range of activities that craft includes; there is no other term to describe the way in which creative thought interacts with a knowledge of materials and techniques to create an object.

Craft is a flexible term, shifting from a verb that describes action to modify or transform a material to a noun that describes a class of objects.

Craft has something important to say about “how things are made”, a respect for the skills, tools, and techniques that are used to transform ideas and materials into objects of use, meaning and beauty.

…in history?

Craft is a word that has adapted over time, responding to changes in the cultural, social, technological and economic environment.

Throughout the history of human culture, objects have been conceived and created to meet many different goals. Some have been made for practical and utilitarian purposes such as clothing, vessels and furnishings. Others have been made for symbolic purposes and serve to communicate religious, political, social and economic ideas.

One quality shared by both is their ability to express themselves aesthetically through an attractive design, the beauty of materials used, their uniqueness, or through their workmanship.

Used with kind permission of the Houston Centre for Contemporary Craft

www.crafthouston.org

Another Step Forward

2009 has been an exciting year at the Mill as we gained the planning permission on March 31st for our new building this has meant another step forward to our goal of creating our vision on our site. All we need now is to raise the money to build it!

A key objective for Walford Mill Education Trust is to develop its’ pre-eminence as a Centre for the dissemination and direct experience of Craft and Making. We will provide purpose-designed workspace studios for more on-site makers. This will be accessible for all visitors and strengthen the link between material displayed in the shop and gallery and the process of design and making. We will also have a covered outside demonstration area and another education space. A new purpose built gallery area will be located on the first floor and the proposed new shop area will be at the new main entrance to the building. The Bistro will be an integral part of the new plan. A lift will serve all floors and from the courtyard there will be direct level access; once completed our building will have complete accessibility on every level.

Initially we are looking to raise the funds to kick-start this project by building our new entrance bridge from the car park to the Mill through the thick greenery of trees and waters-edge plants, alongside the millstream and millpond. This route will reinforce the experience of the extraordinary setting of our beautiful listed C19th Mill building. It will enhance the visitor’s understanding of our unique setting by linking ecology with craft.

We have so far managed to weather the economic storm and have a full and exciting exhibition and education programme organised for 2010. Watch this space for more news and updates on fund raising!

Christine Lawry, Chief Executive