A hyperrealistic baby doll created by Elaine Colbert for ‘adoption’.
Yesterday I went along to check out the new Power of Making exhibition at the V&A Porter Gallery in conjunction with the Crafts Council, treatment which opens today. Curator Daniel Charny was on hand to give us a personal introduction, explaining that when putting together the show he looked for the best demonstration of knowledge for each skill on display. He aims to challenge preconceptions of what arts and craft can be, because ‘making is an active way of thinking‘ that needs to be better valued. Many of the objects on display demonstrate a strong link between science, technology and craft and he would love this relationship to be more widely recognised and utilised.
Here are some of the most interesting things I discovered.
King Silver Gorilla: made entirely from wire coat hangers by David Mach, this stunning sculpture greets visitors at the entrance to the exhibition.
Embroidered surgical implant: this snowflake shaped machine embroidery by Peter Butcher at Ellis Developments is designed to lie just under the skin, providing the surgeon with attachment points for replacing lost tissue.
Beaded Haitian Vodou Flag: having learnt the skills from her mother Mirlande Constant quit her job in a wedding dress factory to make traditional flags.
Carved wooden lion coffin: the family workshop of Kane Kwei in Ghana has been making sculpted coffins since the 1950s. Designed to reflect an individual’s job and aspirations traditional imagery often merges with contemporary culture: you can now be buried in a car or a branded trainer.
The MakerBot: first discovered at a recent Future Human event, this is a small 3D printer designed for home use that extrudes lengths of plastic to create 3D objects.
Kideville 3D printed game: Also in the realm of new technology, the Kide 3D package uses advanced tools to create a game that simultaneously teaches children rapid-prototyping skills. Over the course of Power of Making children will make their own buildings to complete the 3D printed city.
QR code beaded clothing: first discovered at this years graduate Royal College of Art exhibition, Thorunn Arnadottir mixes high technology and art in his Swarovski crystal beaded garments, which can be read by a smartphone.
Lego frog dissection: David Kaleta‘s frog is very accurate, despite its unusual material construction.
Digitally hammered silver bowls: Kathyrn Hinton‘s beautiful bowls are created at a distance that technology affords: a hammer hits a pad and the force of each blow on metal is recorded onscreen.
Sugar sculpture: Corn syrup, sugar, water and lemon juice were boiled in exact proportions to create a glass-like substance that pastry chef Jacquy Pfeiffer manipulated into a dramatic sculpture (just out of shot, a tiger’s head).
Spray on dress: Manel Torres developed Fabrican whilst studying fashion at the Royal College of Art and has since moved to Imperial College to work with materials scientists. New applications that are being considered include upholstery, bandages, and even spray on nappies.
Moth hole mender: I don’t quite understand how this works but I want to use this now!!! Heleen Klopper developed Woolfiller to mend much loved old clothes – the fibre is placed over the hole and grabs onto the surrounding wool.
Marzipan and sugar baby: in an amazing burst of cake based creativity this hyperrealistic infant was made by Michelle Wibowo from edible ingredients.
There were many other intriguing objects to discover at this exhibition, many with extremely clever applications that take them beyond the realm of mere aesthetic frippery. The Power of Making is a fabulous testament to thoughtful creativity and will no doubt encourage many people to learn a new skill. I dare you not to be inspired! For more information and recommended events see my listing.
Categories ,3D Printing, ,Beaded Haitian Vodou Flag, ,Beading, ,Carved wooden lion coffin, ,Coffin, ,craft, ,Crafts Council, ,Daniel Charny, ,David Kaleta, ,David Mach, ,Digitally hammered silver bowls, ,Elaine Colbert, ,Ellies Babies, ,Ellis Developments, ,Embroidered surgical implant, ,Fabrican, ,Future Human, ,ghana, ,Heleen Klopper, ,Imperial College, ,Jacquy Pfeiffer, ,Kane Kwei, ,Kathyrn Hinton, ,Kide 3D, ,Kideville 3D printed game, ,King Silver Gorilla, ,Lego, ,Lego frog dissection, ,Maker Bot, ,MakerBot, ,Manel Torres, ,Marzipan and sugar baby, ,Michelle Wibowo, ,Mirlande Constant, ,Moth hole mender, ,Peter Butcher, ,Power of Making, ,QR code, ,rapid-prototyping, ,Robots, ,Royal College of Art, ,science, ,Smartphone, ,Spray on dress, ,Sugar sculpture, ,Sugarcraft, ,Swarovski, ,Technology, ,The Porter Gallery, ,Thorunn Arnadottir, ,va, ,Wooden, ,wool, ,Woolfiller
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