Design Histories • English Heritage
Exhibition: Brinkburn Priory, July-November 2024.
‘Material & Memory’
An exhibition curated by project lead, Anthony Forsyth.
Mould explores the craft of moulding across ceramics, plastics, metals and other materials, uncovering the potential at each stage of casting, forming and finishing. By examining how a mould affects the structure and character of an object, the exhibition emphasises the connection between material, technique and the maker’s hand, celebrating the significance of moulding in contemporary design.
Proof of Concept is a design platform founded in 2024 by David Irwin, Smith Matthias and Atelier Thirty Four to explore the intricate processes that underpin design practice. The initiative brings together multidisciplinary studios and independent practitioners spanning furniture, product design, ceramics, textiles and architecture. It showcases self-initiated projects, prototypes and works that never reached production, offering a rare view of the challenges and experimentation that shape the journey from concept to completion.
The Tools exhibitors include: Rickard Whittingham, Joe Smith, Will Baugh, George Riding, Trevor Duncan, Fred Dunbar.
Exhibition Catalogue >>Dezeen Article >>design-histories.com >>
Nook Candle Backs
Nook is a sand-cast, bronze candle holder inspired by architectural details found in heritage sites such as Brinkburn. Its shape references the characteristics and proportions of a shouldered arched opening, creating a space or void that comes to life by candlelight. The flicker of light draws attention to the space in between, softening the hard exterior, and creating a sense of discovery through contrasting surfaces.
Quatrefoil Tables
A collection of side-tables inspired by the quatrefoil; a decorative shape formed by partially overlapping four circles. The quatrefoil is a common emblem in architecture, heraldry and religious symbolism and is a striking feature of the decorative stained-glass windows of Brinkburn priory.
The tables are made from Ash hardwood and finished in a variety of striking colours referencing those found in the windows.
Recast, the first in a series of studies, approaches the foundry not as a heritage site in decline, but as a place where industrial craft can inspire new ideas. Presented here is a small collection of abstract patterns sourced from the foundry, sand-cast in gunmetal bronze - a material chosen to honour their cultural and intellectual significance.
