Visit to Gallery Oldham 6th October 2011
Urban Traces - Ceramics and the City
Senior curator Dinah Winch introduced us to the various exhibits and gave us detailed information about the artists who had created them. One of the artists had trained as an architect and created items found in the construction of buildings and urban towns. Rachel Grimshaw, as an architect, created sculptures utilising a combination of materials in order to construct shapes and art forms which did in fact relate to an industrial setting.
Ann Hornsby had her work cut out describing the various sculptures for us because so far as i could see, with my limited vision, they just appeared to be blocks and columns.. Another of the items on display was a fortress by Stephen Dixon, this consisted of a number of houses in segments joined together to form a circular compound which was indicative of a place of safety during a time of war. The outside of the fortress does bear pictures of arms and wounded soldiers and seems to have been created at the time of the Kosovo War. We had in fact seen this exhibit before during a previous exhibition relating to war caused by the endeavors of nations to secure oil supplies.
After a very interesting tour of the various sculptures we adjourned to the Education Suite. After being fortified by drinks and biscuits we were given the opportunity to play with a lump of clay. We had a rolling pin, a template which was a guide to the shape we were trying to achieve, and various tools with which to cut the shape we needed. I ended up with a slightly dodgy, almost round receptacle which could by described as a slightly wobbly pen holder, a distinctive toothbrush holder inscribed with my brand new great granddaughters name 'Bella', or alternatively could be used as a leaky vase.
It was all great fun and I know have a pot sitting on the top of my wardrobe which will hopefully become hard as it air-dries.
Our sincere thanks to Glynis Walsh for all of her hard work in assisting Dinah and setting up and guiding us in our pottery endeavours. Ann Hornsby must be applauded for her innovative descriptions of what could otherwise have been very difficult to interpret. Many many thanks to Mary and her wonderful volunteer drivers who collected us and safely returned us between our homes and the gallery, and to Gallery Oldham for the extra mile they go in order to accommodate our group of visually impaired visitors.
Senior curator Dinah Winch introduced us to the various exhibits and gave us detailed information about the artists who had created them. One of the artists had trained as an architect and created items found in the construction of buildings and urban towns. Rachel Grimshaw, as an architect, created sculptures utilising a combination of materials in order to construct shapes and art forms which did in fact relate to an industrial setting.
Ann Hornsby had her work cut out describing the various sculptures for us because so far as i could see, with my limited vision, they just appeared to be blocks and columns.. Another of the items on display was a fortress by Stephen Dixon, this consisted of a number of houses in segments joined together to form a circular compound which was indicative of a place of safety during a time of war. The outside of the fortress does bear pictures of arms and wounded soldiers and seems to have been created at the time of the Kosovo War. We had in fact seen this exhibit before during a previous exhibition relating to war caused by the endeavors of nations to secure oil supplies.
After a very interesting tour of the various sculptures we adjourned to the Education Suite. After being fortified by drinks and biscuits we were given the opportunity to play with a lump of clay. We had a rolling pin, a template which was a guide to the shape we were trying to achieve, and various tools with which to cut the shape we needed. I ended up with a slightly dodgy, almost round receptacle which could by described as a slightly wobbly pen holder, a distinctive toothbrush holder inscribed with my brand new great granddaughters name 'Bella', or alternatively could be used as a leaky vase.
It was all great fun and I know have a pot sitting on the top of my wardrobe which will hopefully become hard as it air-dries.
Our sincere thanks to Glynis Walsh for all of her hard work in assisting Dinah and setting up and guiding us in our pottery endeavours. Ann Hornsby must be applauded for her innovative descriptions of what could otherwise have been very difficult to interpret. Many many thanks to Mary and her wonderful volunteer drivers who collected us and safely returned us between our homes and the gallery, and to Gallery Oldham for the extra mile they go in order to accommodate our group of visually impaired visitors.
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