Owen Jones was one of the most influential and radical architects of the 19th century, brimming with theories on intricate patterns inspired by forms from nature and the ornamental shimmer of the Middle East.
He played pivotal roles in the design of the Great Exhibition in 1851 and the formation of the Victoria and Albert’s original incarnation as the South Kensington Museum, whose first director, Henry Cole, conspired with Jones to produce the Grammar of Ornament, the 1856 textile bible for which he is probably still best known today.
In this eclectic show, members of the Textile Forum respond to his decorative and conceptual ideas, accompanying their works with sketchbooks and designs charting the development stages of their efforts, researched at the V&A and the Warner Textile Archive in Essex.
The exhibition will tour the region between now and the end of 2012.
- Workshops for children take place on April 12. Call 01462 685647 for full details.
