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Exhibitions
People's Art
Runs Until 1 Dec 2024
Quick summary
- Price
- Free
- Running time
- 10:00 - 17:00 Daily
- Venue
-
- National Glass Centre Gallery
Additional information
Event description
A celebration of folk art by unnamed artists.
Objects referred to as ‘popular art’ or ‘folk art’ were often beautiful, functional and part of daily life. They reflect our economic and social history and were often remarkably well made, evidenced by their survival for decades or more through constant use.
Despite the historic and aesthetic importance of these objects we rarely ask ‘who was the artist?’, or consider their importance within the history of art and design. People’s Art will aim to elevate the profile of popular art by commissioning five contemporary artists to respond to selected objects loaned from Compton Verney’s Folk Art collection and from a private collection. The newly commissioned works will be shown alongside the loans, encouraging the visitor to think about the principles we apply when considering the value of art.
The artists commissioned to make new work in response to the loaned pieces are Ingrid Murphy, Zac Weinberg, Liaqat Rasul, Julia Griffiths and Francisca Onumah. All of these artists are well-known and respected in their own fields of work, and all come from different artistic disciplines.
Irish ceramic artist Ingrid responded to a pair of iconic ceramic Wally Dogs, Staffordshire earthernware pottery, on loan from Compton Verney. Ingrid used AI and opensource digital databases to create a range of interpretations of the original Wally Dogs, combining traditional ceramic skills with digital technologies.
American-born and Sunderland-based glass artist Zac responded to a selection of Victorian-era stemmed glasses, also on loan from Compton Verney. The small dessert wine glasses led Zac on a path from researching Victorian customs around toasting, to the practice of duelling, to more recent developments in glassmaking. Zac has created two glass pieces for People’s Art, Peacemakers and Amphibian.
Welsh Pakistani artist Liaqat responded to Victorian-era Punch and Judy cast-iron doorsteps, on loan from Compton Verney. While researching the doorstops and the origins of the puppet show, the recurring theme of domestic violence became the focus of his commission. Titled 0808 2000 247, his artwork serves as a poignant reminder, bearing the telephone number of the domestic abuse charity Refuge.
Image credit: Data Dogs, 2024 – Ingrid Murphy. Ceramic and resin, bespoke box plinth, LED programmable panels and micro processor.