‘Headphones for Soanes‘ by Jennifer Gray
This year saw the creation of the new School of Material at the The Royal College of Art, which includes Fashion Womenswear and Menswear, Textiles, Ceramics & Glass and, Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork & Jewellery. It might be my natural love for the discipline, but the work that impressed me and inspired me most was in the Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork & Jewellery rooms.
These ‘Stone Garland Necklaces‘ by charismatic designer Jennifer Gray were inspired by a visit to Sir John Soane Museum and its decorative architectural fragments, in which it is covered.
Next up was Emma Montague whose wonderful spectacles I had spotted in the show’s press release and was really looking forward to see! Emma had made a collection of extremely clever hybrid eye-wear by combining the familiar form of spectacles with forms of various jaw bones and playing with dualities. She kindly posed for me with a pair on.
After chatting to Emma Montague, Nina Khazani’s creations pulled me like a magnet. Playing with words – always a winner with me – she calls her collection ‘A Hairy Tale‘ and makes stunning accessories and jewellery using human hair.
Sarah Hurtigkarl showed an impressive half-spoon, half-table construction, questioning through fantasy the function of familiar objects.
Continuing the theme of presenting everyday things with a twist, Joo Hyung Park had laid out a whole table, as if ready for dinner, with cutlery and crockery morphed into weird, mesmerising shapes.
I liked this delicate, thoughtful piece by Laurie Schram. The dollar is electroformed in fine silver, reconnecting it with the metal it once represented, and Laurie comments that ‘like a scratch card, one is now never sure what a dollar is really worth‘.
Finally in the GSM&J rooms Kim Gladwin inserted a live performance element by sitting on a giant wooden darning mushroom and gradually unpicking thread from the hem of her dress and then using it to create embroideries on the dress. As she explained to me she wanted to emphasise, among other things, the importance of making space for making in a busy world – quite right!
Next up come my reviews of Textiles and Ceramics & Glass for sadly we were unable to attend the MA fashion show this year. Images courtesy of the students and additional photography taken at the show by Maria Papadimitriou. Read Amelia’s review of Jewellery, Ceramics and Glass from 2011 here for more RCA based inspiration!
Categories ,2012, ,A Hairy Tale, ,Department of Ceramics and Glass, ,Emma Montague, ,fashion, ,Graduate Show, ,Headphones for Soanes, ,Jennifer Gray, ,jewellery, ,John Soane, ,Joo Hyung Park, ,Kim Gladwin, ,knitwear, ,MA Graduate Show, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,Nina Khazani, ,rca, ,RCA Show, ,review, ,Royal College of Art, ,Sarah Hurtigkarl, ,Silversmithing, ,Sir John Soane’s museum, ,Stone Garland Necklaces
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