I hope you enjoyed the introduction post last week.
Linking back to the period when I was artist in residence at Ruthin (1993-5) when I bought those first two pieces, this was a time when I got really immersed in the crafts world. My experience previously had been very limited with my arts education very much centring on fine arts and design - even having done a textiles degree. So during this period when I had a studio on site and was surrounded by other makers, artists and the gallery too, my awareness and understanding developed hugely.
During that time I was lucky enough to meet a wonderfully creative couple - Kathleen and Norman Makinson. They had met in the 1940s at the RCA and were still both practicing makers from their home in North Wales. Norman was a very talented ceramic sculptor who had previously worked for Wedgwood (designing the Festival of Britain mug) and Kathleen a jeweller whose work was contemporary, minimal and inspired by very similar sources as I was as a weaver at the time, including Japanese architecture. We became friends and indeed Kathleen gave me a great deal of help and guidance, and use of her studio, for the detailing of some of my three dimensional pieces.
I was very much drawn to Kathleen’s work and aspired to own a piece, particularly a brooch. Having not long emerged from student life and on a modest stipend as artist in residence, my funds didn’t quite justify being so ‘frivolous’. Fast forward about fifteen years, not too long after I had re-discovered humBug, I was working back at Ruthin - this time as an independent curator - and there sitting in the retail gallery was a small group of Kathleen’s work. Amongst it was a beautiful little bar brooch that had my name on it, although me being me, I had to think about it! I don’t remember the exact chain of events, but on I think on the next visit to Wales Kathleen came into the Centre and handed me a box - it was the brooch and she insisted it was a gift. I was immensely touched and humbled.
So that was the first in what then became the gradual accumulation of brooches. It I suppose kick-started something, or certainly re-kindled an interest. I would at first only wear Kathleen’s brooch on ‘special occasions’ but as I acquired more pieces, I began to wear them all more regularly - which is only right.
Apologies that the image below doesn’t show the brooch very clearly, but I have discovered this is the only one I have and the brooch itself is currently sitting in a locked-down building awaiting a bit of TLC after getting rather worn. It is by the way a hollow oxidised silver tube with a vertical stripe of white gold and three parallel indentations across the middle section. Just lovely, as is it’s creator who is now in her early 90s and sadly no longer making.
Further brooches to come soon…
Kathleen Makinson, Tube Brooch, c2000, oxidised silver, white gold
Photo by Julia Skupny and courtesy of The Goldsmiths’ Centre