Visit to Gallery Oldham Wednesday 30 May 2012
New Exhibits
We have continued our consultation with Gallery Oldham on debating which exhibits can be appreciated by people with varying degrees of visual difficulties. Dinah unfortunately had to leave the meeting and it was continued to be led by Liz, curator, working with Dinah. I worked with Andrew, a gallery volunteer who helped me to handle some very valuable items of pottery and other members of our group worked with Hilary and Zainab. We looked at 4 different items and the charming young sculpter ... explained to us that the gallery had arranged for him to make some prototype copies of the exhibits we would not normally be allowed to handle because of their considerable value. We handled a pot which had been thrown but stood on a flimsy base making it easy to be knocked over. The prototype had a wider base and offered itself to the visually impaired as more easily handled.
We also looked at a very delicate eggshell thin piece representing a flower and the petals had been defined with dots which we could not see. The prototype had ridges in place of the dots and this enabled us to appreciate the design of the piece. There was a piece made by a Japanese sculpter which resembled a bag and was the inspiration which Glynis used at our previous meeting when we all had a go at making a bag with strips of clay.
The other 2 items were a teapot with handles and spout which resembled branches with thorns sticking out and then a petrol can with a figure of Britannia on the top.
During out break, the gallery treated us to a delightful buffet lunch followed up by drinks and cake.
At the end of the meeting, the artist expressed his appreciation of the greater depth of understanding he now had relating to the difficulties encountered by people with varying degrees of vision and how their appreciation of exhibits could be greatly enhanced by having the opportunity to handle a copy of the exhibit and a detailed description of the work and the artists inspiration.
Our thanks to the gallery and staff for having given us the opportunity to have some input into their decisions for exhibiting certain pieces. Also, many thanks to Mary and her sterling volunteers who pick us up from home and take us to the gallery so that we can enjoy this day.
Elaine
We have continued our consultation with Gallery Oldham on debating which exhibits can be appreciated by people with varying degrees of visual difficulties. Dinah unfortunately had to leave the meeting and it was continued to be led by Liz, curator, working with Dinah. I worked with Andrew, a gallery volunteer who helped me to handle some very valuable items of pottery and other members of our group worked with Hilary and Zainab. We looked at 4 different items and the charming young sculpter ... explained to us that the gallery had arranged for him to make some prototype copies of the exhibits we would not normally be allowed to handle because of their considerable value. We handled a pot which had been thrown but stood on a flimsy base making it easy to be knocked over. The prototype had a wider base and offered itself to the visually impaired as more easily handled.
We also looked at a very delicate eggshell thin piece representing a flower and the petals had been defined with dots which we could not see. The prototype had ridges in place of the dots and this enabled us to appreciate the design of the piece. There was a piece made by a Japanese sculpter which resembled a bag and was the inspiration which Glynis used at our previous meeting when we all had a go at making a bag with strips of clay.
The other 2 items were a teapot with handles and spout which resembled branches with thorns sticking out and then a petrol can with a figure of Britannia on the top.
During out break, the gallery treated us to a delightful buffet lunch followed up by drinks and cake.
At the end of the meeting, the artist expressed his appreciation of the greater depth of understanding he now had relating to the difficulties encountered by people with varying degrees of vision and how their appreciation of exhibits could be greatly enhanced by having the opportunity to handle a copy of the exhibit and a detailed description of the work and the artists inspiration.
Our thanks to the gallery and staff for having given us the opportunity to have some input into their decisions for exhibiting certain pieces. Also, many thanks to Mary and her sterling volunteers who pick us up from home and take us to the gallery so that we can enjoy this day.
Elaine
posted by elaine at 5:04 PM
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