The Cutting Edge
The work of thirty of Scotland’s leading craftsmen and women will go on show from Saturday (28 July) at IMAG (Inverness Museum and Art Gallery) as part of a major exhibition tour including Edinburgh, Kilmarnock, Glasgow and Aberdeen.
The Cutting Edge is a partnership between National Museums Scotland, Aberdeen City Council, East Ayrshire Council and Glasgow City Council and has received financial backing from the Scottish Arts Council. The exhibition is brought to the Highlands with assistance from Highland 2007 and The Highland Council as part of the celebrations for Scotland’s year of Highland culture.
Visitors to the exhibition will see silverwork, ceramics, jewellery, glass, textiles, basketry, furniture and metalwork from some of the country’s top makers, some of whose work is included in museum and private collections around the world.
Objects on display include silversmith Malcolm Appleby’s ‘Hurricane George’, a shallow silver bowl engraved with a hurricane and showing George Bush’s face sitting at the centre of the storm.
Dumfries-based Mark Devlin’s Scandinavian and Shaker movement-inspired furniture is also showcased, as are the printed acrylic designs of Glasgow’s Jan Milne, whose previous work includes textiles for Gloria Estefan’s restaurant in Miami and the Mirage Casino in Las Vegas.
Jewellery is represented by a number of the country’s top designers and includes an eye-catching collaboration between Roger Morris and Sara Keith, neckpieces by Helen McPherson crafted from cubes of 18ct gold plated and oxidised silver, as well as colourful and sculptural pieces from the internationally renowned, Peter Chang.
The Cutting Edge also demonstrates how new techniques and technologies are being embraced to create innovative new works such as Sarah Taylor’s textile installation which combines the lighting effects of optical fibres with traditional weaving methods.
Rose Watban, Curator of Applied Art and Design at National Museums Scotland said: ‘The diversity and quality of work being carried out by contemporary makers in Scotland is incredible. Scotland is a leader in craft practice and this stunning exhibition showcases the country’s talent, creativity and passion in a way which we believe will inspire, excite and challenge audiences across the country.’
Ends
Editor’s notes
1. Dates for rest of exhibition: The exhibition will visit,Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow – 20 September until 25 November 2007; Aberdeen Art Gallery, 9 February – 12 April 2008
2. The participating Artists are as follows:
Malcolm Appleby, Jilli Blackwood, Ruth Chalmers, Peter Chang, Gillian Cooper, Jack Cunningham, Mark Devlin, Lizzie Farey, Ray Flavell, Rachel Hazell, Dorothy Hogg, Adrian Hope, Sarah Keay, Sara Keith, Roger Morris, Alison Kinnaird, Andrew Lamb, Ann Little, Micheal Lloyd, Jan Milne, Keiko Mukaide, Laura Murray, Grant McCaig, Helen McPherson, Mai Therese Orsted, Stephen Richard, Sarah-Jan Selwood, Stooshie Design (Linda Carlin and Archie Manson), Sarah Taylor and Simon Ward.
3. Highland 2007, the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture, aims to promote the Highlands as a great place to live and to visit through showcasing the unique and special nature of Highland culture past, present and future. The project is a partnership between three principal funding agencies: The Highland Council, the Scottish Executive, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. See www.highland2007.com for full details.