Part of London Craft Week 30 April – 11 July 2019
This London Craft Week, the Goldsmiths’ Centre in London will be celebrating the craft of cutting words onto metal, stone or glass through the exhibition Inscribed: The Craft of Cutting Letters.Working in collaboration with The Hand Engravers Association and The Lettering Arts Trust, the free exhibition will be accompanied by an inspiring and insightful programme of demos, guided walks, tours and workshops.
Presenting a wide selection of artists’ work alongside loans from the Goldsmiths’ Company, Crafts Council and other collections, the exhibition will provide a unique insight into this ancient and evolving skill and the processes used by today’s craftspeople to design, craft and carve text. Over thirty functional, decorative and commemorative objects – from signage and jewellery, to decorative objects – will tell the story of some of the UK’s most skilled craftspeople and how traditional techniques inform their contemporary craft practice. Highlights will include Michael Lloyd’s Dru Drury Bowl (2009), from the Goldsmiths’ Company Collection, Calligraphic, Incisive Letterwork (1993) created by Brenda Berman and Annet Stirling from the Crafts Council Collection and the hand-blown bowl, Net of Gold (2018), by Peter Furlonger, on loan from The Lettering Arts Trust.
From 8th to 10th May 2019, a ticketed programme will offer members of the public the chance to step into the shoes of a talented craftsperson and try their hand at making. During an evening demonstration on 8th May, Master engraver Sam Marsden will show the skill, patience and precision required for an engraver alongside Louise Sorrell, who recently completed her Goldsmiths’ Company Apprenticeship under her tutorage and won the prestigious Theo Fennel Apprentice and Master Award at the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards. The Goldsmiths’ Centre will also be reaching out beyond its walls through a unique guided tour on 10th May through London’s city streets with the City of London Guide, Tony Baxter, which will further unlock the rich heritage of letter cut signage.
Sarah Harrison, Executive Director of the Lettering Arts Trust remarks, “Lettering is frequently invisible and taken for granted, but when lettering is regarded as an art in the hands of designers and craftsmen who care about form and composition it is elevated to a new level that captures the imagination. ‘ Inscribed’ is a marvelous opportunity for the Lettering Arts Trust to collaborate with esteemed partners – the Goldsmiths’ Centre and the Hand Engravers Association during this year’s London Craft Week and into the summer. This exhibition shows not only the remarkable skills, but also the inspiration and creativity of the most accomplished exponents of hand carving, engraving and precious metalwork who revel in inscriptions and turn words and phrases into breathtaking artworks.”
Sally Dodson, Associate Manager of The Hand Engravers Association explains: “It has been a long-held ambition for the Hand Engravers Association to be part of the exciting celebration of creativity that is London Craft Week. We are delighted to be partnering with the Goldsmiths’ Centre who will enable us to show the talented skills of our apprentice and professional hand engravers to a new audience. It is thrilling to work with the Lettering Arts Trust; an organisation who clearly share our passion for supporting and promoting skilled artisans of heritage craft skills in a contemporary context.”
www.goldsmiths-centre.org/whats-on
Free admission | #londoncraftweek