Category Archives: Design

06Oct/18

Silver Soft Living Things

October 6, 2018Art, Design, Precious MetalsDr Dora Thornton, Goldsmiths' Fair, Hiroshi Suzuki, Ingo Henn, Yusuke YamamotoArmadillo Central

Presenting a mini snapshot review of Goldsmiths’ Fair Week One headed by a title adapted from artist maker Hiroshi Suzuki’s evocative description of silver as “a soft living thing”. Continue reading →

21Feb/18

Collect Silver, 2018

February 21, 2018Art, Design, Precious MetalsBishopsland Educational Trust, emerging artists, enamelled silverware, malleability of silver, metal artistArmadillo Central

Collect returns to London’s Saatchi Gallery for its 14th edition from 22 – 25 February, bringing together 40 galleries from four continents for a celebration of making across dozens of different art and craft disciplines. Continue reading →

30Dec/17

From Hard Drive to Soft Landing

December 30, 2017Art, Designfan of mountains, Hard Drive monograph, six degrees of separation, snowy frame, Soft Landing, Zoë KronbergerArmadillo Central

An exhibition review and interview with artist and erstwhile musician Zoë Kronberger. ‘Six degrees of separation’ sprang to mind at the launch of Soft Landing which runs at Wimbledon Fine Art until January 6th. Continue reading →

29Oct/17

On The Radar: Lisa Traxler’s BUILD

October 29, 2017Art, Design, Film, PhotographyBUILD exhibition, Isle of Wight, WW2 bunkerArmadillo Central

Successful creative collaborations are always a thrill. With BUILD three visionaries, an architect and an artist whose recent works are inextricably linked worked with an image maker Continue reading →

27Jun/17

The Hand Engravers Association Symposium 2017

June 27, 2017Art, Design, Precious MetalsHand Engravers Association, Malcolm Appleby, Miriam Hanid, Silversmith's Symposium, traditional craftsArmadillo Central

I was privileged to be invited to the Hand Engravers Association’s Symposium, a 5 day event at master engraver Malcolm Appleby’s workshops in Scotland earlier in June. Continue reading →

05Feb/17

‘Collect 2017’ Snapshot

February 5, 2017Art, Books & Writing, Design, Furniture, Precious MetalsCollect 2017, The Crafts Council, The Life of Julie CopeArmadillo Central

I was blown away by the breadth of talent, textures, colours and concepts at the Crafts Council’s ‘Collect’ show, which runs until the 6th February at London’s Saatchi Gallery. Continue reading →

29Sep/16

London’s Heart of Gold

September 29, 2016Art, Design, Precious MetalsGoldsmiths' Fair, Goldsmiths' Hall, one-off jewellery, oxidised silver, Silver SpeaksArmadillo Central

Goldsmiths’ Fair started out as Loot in 1976, when all pieces sold had to be under £50, while Superloot, launched in 1979, showcased items over £500 – see the first private view invitation below. Continue reading →

22Mar/16

Book Review: Malcolm Appleby at 70

March 22, 2016Art, Books & Writing, Design, Precious Metalsinterpolated palimpsest, Jane Short, Malcolm Appleby, The Scottish GalleryArmadillo Central

The Scottish Gallery published a paperback Malcolm Appleby at 70 to coincide with their January 2016 exhibition celebrating the artist, silversmith and engraver’s 50 year + “creative tour de force”, a slim volume well worth adding to your library. Continue reading →

17Feb/16

Tales of Hidden Treasure

February 17, 2016Coins and Medals, Design, Precious MetalsEleanor Ghey, iron age model weapons, real buried treasure, Roman piggy bank, Westerham hoardArmadillo Central

Hoards, The Hidden History of Ancient Britain is a little treasure to be found at The British Museum until late May. Continue reading →

11Dec/15

Ai Weiwei at The RA

December 11, 2015Art, Design, PhotographyAi Weiwei, Chinese culture, Coco-Cola Vase, Grapes, Royal Academy of ArtsArmadillo Central

I am still deeply immersed in the experience that was Ai Weiwei’s monumental show at The Royal Academy. Continue reading →