A few weeks ago I visited The National Centre for Craft & Design for the first time. This is in Sleaford, a small market town in Lincolnshire. I didn’t see that much of Sleaford (unless you count driving around the one-way system several times), but the little I did see is very attractive.
I’ll be returning to Sleaford on 22nd June for the “Keep Calm and Carry Yarn” event.
This is a day devoted to yarn; need I say more, I have to be there! Especially since I’ll be running a free 2-hour workshop on “Tessellating Crochet”. So if you would like to crochet granny squares, triangles and hexagons and learn about the different ways in which they tessellate come and join me!
During “Keep Calm and Carry Yarn” there will be a wide range of demonstrations, workshops and exhibitions. Further information is available from the National Centre for Craft & Design.
The National Centre for Craft & Design also has several gallery spaces, workshops, a shop and a cafe overlooking the river.
The main exhibition was “Beauty is the First Test” which aimed to show how different craft techniques and artistic development are underpinned by mathematical concepts. This is illustrated by a variety of textile and sculptural pieces from a group of nationally and internationally known artists, as well as sketchbooks and samples from five of the makers showing the relevance of mathematical concepts to their practice. I’ve seen some of Margo Selby‘s work before but was really intrigued by her experimental samples and notes that led to the final complex woven piece. I understand the basics of weaving but would need to see this fabric being made to understand how it happens. I was truly impressed by Lesley Halliwell’s spirograph drawings; these are nothing my amateurish attempts as a child. The scale of the colourful “Black Eyed Peas” is impressive – imagine the skill and precision needed to place every single spiral in exactly the right place. The finished piece reminds me of the cross-sections of flowering plants. Now those of you who have seen my MA work will understand that I was buzzing with excitement and inspiration by the time I left this exhibition. At the simplest mathematical level, all crafts practitioners remember the mantra “measure twice, cut once”.
“Beauty is the First Test” finishes on 30 June 2013, so you will be able to see this exhibition if you come to “Keep Calm and Carry Yarn”.
The Arts Council have produced a film about “Beauty is the First Test“.
I also visited the smaller exhibition “Synchronise“, which I was glad to see because it features work from many local artists and designer-makers working in collaboration. Ruth Singer is a Leicester-based textile artist. I had been following the development of her collaborations with Jan Garside and Alys Power on Ruth’s blog. So I was particularly pleased to see the finished pieces, and they lived up to expectations! I also enjoyed seeing the work of JC Middlebrook who is inspired by Nottingham lace, Anna Collette Hunt who made the installation with 10000 ceramic insects at Nottingham Castle last year, and Debbie Bryan who has a studio and shop in the Lace Market.
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