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Hidden Art Curated |  |
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The Hidden Art Curated project was curated by Katherine Sorrell, an established writer on design, craft and interior spaces. Katherine selected a range of work by Hidden Art Cornwall members to display in the traditional room settings of Godolphin House. Designer-Makers who exhibited work in Hidden Art Curated: Beef Design, Abigail Brown, Katie Bunnell, Daisy Dunlop, Green and Blue, Charlotte Jones, Ron Jones, GAH, Adam Harvey, Madasa Hats, Janice Hine, Journeyman Furniture, Wendy Kotenko, Jethro Macey, Antonia Macgregor, James Maclachlan, Justin Marshall, IXO Design, Orangewonder, Selina Radford, Ismini Samanidou, Sense of Place, sixixis, Des Models de Linda, Terrain Design, Nick Fraser. An Introduction to Hidden Art Curated by Katherine Sorrell The aim of Hidden Art Curated is to present contemporary design in an unconventional context – the historic rooms (and some outside areas) of the ancient manor house, some of which are already furnished with gorgeous antiques, while others are undergoing painstaking and authentic restoration. The contemporary pieces on show are from a wide range of disciplines, including jewellery, ceramics, weaving, millinery, lighting, glass and furniture; some are small-scale, some are huge, and while some are relatively conventional in style (although exquisitely designed and made to the highest quality, of course), others are strikingly unusual, even experimental. By juxtaposing the old and the new in this way, a dialogue is set up that – hopefully – encourages you to look afresh at each piece and, perhaps, consider some interesting issues. How has craftsmanship changed over the centuries? Are modern materials and practices better than traditional ones? How well do the objects, both old and new, suit their purpose? Where do contemporary makers find their inspiration? And so on. There are many occasions when the modern pieces that I have selected ‘fit’ very naturally in their unaccustomed surroundings. At other times, the pieces seem more uneasy in their context. I, personally, enjoy the thrilling tension that this creates, and I think that the questions that this incongruity raises can be stimulating, provoking and ultimately very useful. A number of the objects have been created specially for this exhibition, their makers responding to the colours, materials, furnishings and architecture of Godolphin House in order to produce something unique for a specific room. I am enormously grateful for the time and trouble that these makers have gone to. The other pieces were selected on the basis that they already ‘worked’ well in the spaces at Godolphin, whether by virtue of material, form, colour, method, scale or a specific affinity to a particular context. While developing this project I have been absolutely blown away by the quality and diversity of work by all members of Hidden Art Cornwall – not just those whose pieces I have selected. I have also found that, the more one gets to know Godolphin House, the more fascinating it becomes. It only remains to say that I hope you will find looking round the exhibition as exciting and inspiring as I have done while working on it. Enjoy.
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