Pair of brass and steel firedogs, c. 1904-19. Courtesy of New Walk Museum & Art Gallery.
Exhibition Notice - New Walk Museum & Art Gallery in Leicester is hosting Craft and Design: Ernest Gimson & the Arts and Crafts Movement from November 8 2008 to March 1 2009.
The Arts and Crafts Movement was more than style; it was a way of life shared by designers, architects and clients. But what were their houses like and what kind of life did they lead?
Craft and Design: Ernest Gimson & the Arts and Crafts Movement attempts to answer these questions and explore the social and political concerns at the time.
Furniture, metalwork, embroideries, plasterwork and architectural designs will be among many works on show in an exhibition that will also explore how the traditions of the Movement have continued to inspire and influence contemporary designers.
As one of the major designers of the late 19th century and early 20th century, Ernest Gimson’s reputation extended from Germany and Scandinavia to the USA.
His work represents the William Morris-inspired Arts and Crafts Movement at its most pure, which has continued to inspire designer-makers worldwide up to the present day.
“Ernest Gimson was the archetypal Arts and Crafts figure because of his design flair combined with his strong concern for the process of making,” explains Mary Greensted, exhibition curator and writer on the Arts and Crafts Movement.
“The exhibition provides a wonderful and long-overdue opportunity to assess his impact and legacy in the context of the Arts and Crafts Movement.”
Ebony and walnut veneered cabinet with mahogany carcass and ebony handles, c. 1930. Courtesy of New Walk Museum & Art Gallery.
Other items of furniture and metalwork by Sidney Barnsley and Peter Waals will be showcased including a monumental oak seat designed and made by Barnsley in 1899 and a macassar ebony cabinet, inlaid with mother of pearl, designed by Gimson in 1907.
These will be displayed among loans from private collections as well as more recent works from the mid-20th century by Gordon Russell and the US architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
The exhibition will demonstrate how the traditions of the Movement have continued to inspire and teach contemporary artists, illustrated through contemporary craftwork, product design, plasterwork and metalwork.
And there will also be input from students, makers and designers discussing current issues about over-production and waste of natural resources, attempting to cast a fresh eye over the ideas of the arts and crafts and how it can contribute to today’s society.
Admission to the exhibition is free.
