Exhibitions
The New York Ceramics & Glass Fair 2016
On January 21-24, Joanna traveled to New York to show at The New York Ceramics and Glass Fair in Bohemian National Hall.
She exhibited exciting works by internationally acclaimed contemporary Ceramics and Glass artists, as well as offering collectors the opportunity to acquire exceptional museum-quality works by Hans Coper, Lucie Rie and Edmund de Waal.
Ceramic works by Pippin Drysdale, Carina Ciscato, Halima Cassell, and Geoffery Mann were featured as well as exquisite glass works by Steffen Dam and Juli Bolanos Durman. Collectors have the opportunity to see unusual pieces by Emmanuel Cooper, Philip Eglin and an exceptional work by the Martin Brothers.
Exhibitions
Merchants and Makers
1-15 December
Joanna is delighted to announce her new exhibition, Merchants and Makers taking place at 19 Grove Park Terrace, Chiswick, London, W4 from Tuesday 1 December – Tuesday 15 December, open 10am –5.30pm (closed Sundays) with a late night opening on Tuesday 8 December until 9pm.
Following Joanna’s trip to Venice earlier this year, Merchants and Makers will be debuting beautiful glass jewellery by Amy West.
Using lamp working and traditional wheel engraving techniques, each piece of Amy’s work is carefully considered to create sensitive and detailed forms. Award winning designer-maker Juli Bolaños-Durman will also be showing colourful glass sculptures from her new Solace Collection.
The exhibition will also feature new works by Sara Dodd and Nigel Wood; historical works by master potters Lucie Rie and Hans Coper; contemporary pieces from Richard Batterham; William Plumptre and Judith Rowe, all underlining the beauty of the functional form.
Pippin Drysdale, Sara Moorhouse and Tanya Gomez provide a dazzling array of colours directly inspired by the landscape and its ever changing seasonal palette.
New to Joanna Bird, Nic Webb’s work pursues an organic approach – using traditional tools to create his exquisite wooden sculptures and hand made ceramics. In the Merchants sector; spectacular and useful table pieces from designers Nason Moretti on Murano: elegantly simple products from artisans working with Shaker designs from the USA – boxes, brushes and honey sticks.
We hope you will come to explore the exciting cornucopia of treasures in this unusual Christmas show.
Open 10am – 5.30pm (including Saturdays, closed Sundays) with a late night opening on Tuesday 8 December until 9pm
We look forward to seeing you.
19 Grove Park Terrace, London, W4 3QE
Exhibitions
Pippin Drysdale named as an Australian National Living Treasure
Pippin Drysdale has been chosen as one of Western Australia’s 15 Living Treasures
The 2015 State Living Treasures Award recipients were chosen by a panel of distinguished members of the arts and culture community.
They are artists who;
• have spent a significant part of their career working within or creating work related to Western Australia
• are highly regarded and skilled in their field
• have spent their careers constantly developing their work
• have passed on their knowledge to other artists and influenced emerging artist to their field
• have demonstrated a commitment or contribution to the arts sector in Western Australia
Exhibitions, Projects
Decorex International 2015
20 - 23 September 2015
Joanna is delighted to let you know that she and David Mlinaric will be curating the Sir John Soane’s Museum stand at Decorex International Fair this year.
This project has a theme, working to recreate the iconic Regency architectural style of Robert and James Adam with new designs from the Museum’s licensees. These design houses are leaders in their fields and include: Ossowski, Chesney’s, Haddenstone’s, Hector Finch Lighting, Jonathan Burden, Locker & Riley, The Odd Chair Company and Surface View. They have all worked closely with the Museum, researching the Adam drawings in the collection as a source of inspiration for their designs.
In other Decorex news, it is a pleasure to announce that Carina Ciscato will be exhibiting as part of the Future Heritage stand.
Decorex International opens on the 20 – 23 September 2015 at Syon Park, London.
Visit the Sir John Soane’s Museum on stand B21.
Projects, Commissions
Carina Ciscato at No. 8 St James Square
No. 8 St James Square, a Green Property project, designed by Eric Parry Architects, showing work by Carina Ciscato acquired through Joanna Bird.
Carina produced a total of 31 porcelain vessels which are displayed in a four tier cabinet measuring L 226 x W 50 cm situated inside the entrance lobby of No. 8.
Exhibitions
Midsummer Magic; Titania’s Enchantment
16 - 26 June 2015
Joanna is pleased to announce the opening of her next summer exhibition, Midsummer Magic; Titania’s Enchantment, taking place at Grove Park Terrace from Tuesday 16 June – Friday 26 June.
Following on the success of 2014’s Heat and Dust exhibition inspired by Joanna’s travels in India, Midsummer Magic will showcase a range of work from the ethereal to the functional in the idyllic setting of an English summer garden.
We will be showing timeless ceramic pieces for everyday use by Richard Batterham and carved bowls and beakers from Miranda Thomas. These will sit beside the vibrant works of Emma Finch and Sara Moorhouse. The rich panoply continues with Jacob van der Beugel, Hyejeong Kim, Sara Dodd, and new works by Helen Beard with quirky figurative brushwork. Philip Wood is debuting his witty and sensitive drawing on tiles.
Visitors are invited to wander through the garden and discover sculptural works by Halima Cassell, Thiébaut Chagué and renowned potter Svend Bayer.
Open 10am – 5.30pm (including Saturdays, closed Sunday 21 June) with a late night opening on Tuesday 23 June until 10pm.
We look forward to seeing you.
19 Grove Park Terrace, London, W4 3QE
Wednesday 24 June
In an exciting new collaboration, we are also working with Spitalfields Music to host an evening reception as part of their In the House series; an intimate part-tour, part-recital held in the private drawing rooms of local historic homes on Strand-on-the-Green.
After enjoying short recitals from some of the Royal Academy of Music’s rising young stars, the evening will conclude with a drinks and canapés reception, giving guests the chance to mingle and meet the musicians at our exhibition.
If you would like to book tickets please contact Sophie Gordon, Spitalfields Music Development Manager, on sophie.gordon@spitalfieldsmusic.org.uk or 0207 377 0287
Exhibitions
Joanna Bird at COLLECT 2015
8 - 11 May 2015
Joanna Bird will return to COLLECT 2015 showing a selection of quality work from internationally acclaimed contemporary ceramic, glass and conceptual artists.
The show will feature new ceramics by Pippin Drysdale, Annie Turner and Carina Ciscato as well as works in silver by Chien-Wei Chang. Jacob van der Beugel will unveiling his new body of work following his award winning ceramic installation at Chatsworth House.
Geoffrey Mann will be debuting his new glass sculptures The Secret Life of Shadows and Steffen Dam will be presenting a new direction in glass.
Alongside these, will be exciting new works by Halima Cassell, Kaori Tatebayashi, Joseph Harrington, Juli Bolaños-Durman, Svend Bayer and furniture from John Makepeace and Julian Chichester. Several new international artists will also be featured for the first time at COLLECT including ceramics by Thiébaut Chagué, sculpture by Rósa Gísladóttir and ceramics by Hattori Makiko.
Joanna will also be offering collectors the opportunity to acquire exceptional museum-quality works by Hans Coper, Lucie Rie and Edmund de Waal.
Saatchi Gallery
Duke of York’s HQ
King’s Road
London
SW3 4RY
Friday 8 May: 12 – 6 pm
Saturday 9 May: 11am – 6pm
Sunday 10 May: 11am – 6pm
Monday 11 May: 11am – 4pm
Last admission 30 minutes before close of show
Projects
The North Sketch Sequence Publication
Joanna Bird has published a book to accompany The North Sketch Sequence by Jacob van der Beugel at Chatsworth.
The North Sketch Sequence is the largest contemporary ceramic installation ever to be installed in a Grade II listed house. Made up of 659 handmade ceramic panels, the work depicts the DNA sequence of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.
The publication includes essays by respected experts, who explore the dynamics between art, science and architecture. The publication also follows the four year journey from conception to installation of the work along with full colour images of the installation at different times of day, captured in different lights.
The book launch was held at the Architectural Association Bookshop on 2 June 2015.
The publication also includes contributions from respected experts in their fields:
Richard Cork
Emma Crichton-Miller
The Duke of Devonshire KCVO, CBE, DL
Peter Inskip MBE
Sandy Nairne
Michael White
Jacob van der Beugel
Joanna Bird
The North Sketch Sequence publication is now available to buy at the price of £8 (+1.60 UK p&p). To order please email your details to info@joannabird.com
Exhibitions
Heat and Dust
19-30 November 2014
Joanna is delighted to announce her new exhibition, Heat and Dust, taking place at Grove Park Terrace from Wednesday 19 November to Sunday 30 November, open 10am – 5.30pm (including Saturdays, closed Sunday 23 November) with late night openings on Thursday 20 and Thursday 27 to 9pm.
Joanna visited India earlier this year to source exotic new textiles and other craft products from artisans working in Chennai, Pondicherry and Jaipur. The result is an exhibition that conveys the rich and varied atmosphere of the country, showcasing the finest Indian hand-crafts and beautiful new contemporary ceramics and glass.
Finely woven silk saris, cashmere shawls and pashminas in a range of vibrant colours and traditional patterns will be complemented by the bright glazes and sculptural forms of work from both established and emerging artists.
Pippin Drysdale explores a range of colours from Violet to Crimson to Ochre to enliven her unique porcelain forms. Sara Moorhouse and Natasha Daintry will provide their take on the vessel in an equally dazzling array of colours directly inspired by the craft textiles in the show.
Ceramics from Clive Bowen, Richard Batterham and Kaori Tatebayashi demonstrate the beauty of functional form whilst Thiébaut Chagué’s powerful sculptures speak of the immediate relationship between earth and fire.
Chien-Wei Chang’s silver work responds to objects in everyday use in India, bringing a fresh view on a country that is undergoing rapid change.
The show will also feature ceramics by Sara Dodd and Emma Finch, and new work in glass from Juli Bolaños-Durman.
Exhibitions
The Arris, Interpreted
27 November - 24 December 2014
An exhibition of new work by Carina Ciscato
Curated by Joanna Bird
In association with Messum’s, the exhibition will run alongside a show of work by Frank Phelan.
8 Cork Street
London
W1S 3LJ
Monday-Friday 10am – 6pm
Saturday 10am – 4pn
Sunday Closed
Exhibitions, Projects
Joanna Bird at Chesney’s London
Joanna Bird presents a selection of curated works at Chesney’s the new showroom in Battersea. Joanna chose vibrant ceramic works to complement Chesney’s period and contemporary luxury fireplaces.
Chesney’s
194 – 200 Battersea Park Road,
London, SW11 4ND
Monday-Friday 9:00am-5.30pm, Saturday 10.00am-5.00pm
by appointment
Exhibitions, Projects
Carina Ciscato at Chesney’s New York
Coinciding with the Inspired by Soane launch at Chesney’s New York, Carina Ciscato is exhibiting new works including a series of roundels, which she developed as part of the Marking the line: Ceramics and Architecture.
Chesney’s New York
Suite 1119, 11th Floor, D&D Building,
979 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022
Monday-Friday 9:00am – 5.00pm
Projects, Commissions
The North Sketch Sequence by Jacob van der Beugel at Chatsworth
The North Sketch Sequence is an entire ceramic room created using textured, handmade ceramic panels created by artist, Jacob van der Beugel. Lining the walls of the North Sketch Gallery each of the 659 warm, ochre coloured panels is unique and can fit only in one place. It is the most ambitious permanent ceramic installation ever to be constructed in a Grade I listed house.
Using samples from the Duke and Duchess, their son Lord Burlington and his wife Lady Burlington, the panels are embedded with a depiction of the Devonshire family’s DNA. Aspects of each individual’s personality are captured on raised ceramic blocks representing their personal DNA strand in an unusual and creative take on the traditional portrait.
It is a major work of art, and in the Duke of Devonshire’s words, ‘The most important addition to the house since the Sculpture Gallery was added in 1832.’ It is also the largest handmade contemporary ceramic installation ever to be installed in a country house.
The North Sketch Sequence is a landmark in Jacob’s career as both conceptual artist and master craftsman. It took four years to complete the project, completely covering the 20m long gallery. The panels are a new departure for Jacob, and he is now looking to extend his practice further by exploring new wall-mounted forms leading on from The North Sketch Sequence.
“A beautiful poetic work which is exemplary in the way it manages to turn information (of which we have so much, and which usually leaves us so cold) into art (which touches our hearts).”
Alain de Botton on The North Sketch Sequence
The installation also won the prestigious CODAaward for best interior in the residential category. The annual CODAaward celebrates the best design and art projects from all over the world. Jacob’s installation was chosen from over 336 entries from 32 countries.
The North Sketch Sequence is on permanent display at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, UK.
Exhibitions, Projects
Joanna Bird at Suzanne Lovell Inc
In November 2013, Joanna Bird visited Chicago for a pop-up exhibition in the studio of renowned interior designer Suzanne Lovell. The show coincided with SOFA Chicago, where Joanna had a stand and Suzanne had designed the VIP room.
Showing a range of contemporary and historic works in a variety of media, Joanna and Suzanne gave a talk about the importance of decorative arts within the home and the three dimensional experience.
Foundation
Marking the line Symposium at Somerset House
26 March 2013
In conjunction with the touring exhibition Marking the line: Ceramics and Architecture, The Joanna Bird Foundation organised a symposium to discuss the interplay between ceramics and architecture and their relevance for collectors, makers and museums today. The evening concluded with a candlelit tour of the exhibition at Sir John Soane’s Museum.
Speakers:
Eric Parry RA, Principal, Eric Parry Architects
Suzanne Lovell, Principal, Suzanne Lovell Inc.
Dr Jerzy Kierkuć-Bieliński, Exhibitions Curator, Sir John Soane’s Museum
Jan Tichelaar, Director, Royal Tichelaar Makkum
Joanna Bird, Curator, Director, The Joanna Bird Foundation
Jeremy Theophilus, Co-director of the British Ceramics Biennial
Eliza Gluckman, Curator, Day+Gluckman
Andrew Burton, Artist, Professor of Fine Art at Newcastle University
Chair: Dr Glenn Adamson, Head of Research, V&A
Themes of the symposium:
Contemporary ceramic installations in historic architectural settings.
Where do ceramics fit into the wider arts sector? How does place and historical reference affect both work and audiences?
How do installations in different historic contexts show work in a new light and how does this affect the artist, viewer and critic?
How can design factories, artists and architects explore artistic collaboration?
What is the future for crossover of architecture, interior design and ceramics?
Support from the Art Fund enabled curators from around the UK to attend the Marking the line symposium.
Visit our website to see more of the work that we do: https://www.joannabirdfoundation.com/
Exhibitions, Projects, Foundation
Marking the line: Ceramics and Architecture
7 March - 8 September 2013
Marking the line: Ceramic and Architecture was a touring exhibition, which commissioned four artists to create ceramic installations responding to the life and works of Sir John Soane. Curated by Joanna Bird and Dr Jerzy Kierkuć-Bieliński, Exhibitions Curator at Sir John Soane’s Museum, the exhibition sought to challenge where and how we view ancient and modern works of art.
Ceramic artists Nicholas Rena, Carina Ciscato, Clare Twomey and Christie Brown were commissioned to create life specific responses to celebrated neoclassical architect Sir John Soane, inspired by his work, life and collections. The concept was, by introducing contemporary ceramic art into an historic architectural setting to explore the relationship between ceramics and architecture.
The exhibition opened at Sir John Soane’s Museum on March 8, 2013 and then travelled onto two further houses designed or partially designed by Soane: Port Eliot in Cornwall and Pitzhanger Manor in Ealing.
Very different dialogues between work and historic setting emerged as the exhibition translated from one venue to the next. In Port Eliot for example, themes of dynasty in Christie Brown’s work resonated not only with the life of Soane but also with that of the St.Germans family at Port Eliot, so much so that Christie produced a further two pieces, busts of the 1st Lord & Lady St Germans, to enhance the exhibition.
‘This is a fascinating exhibition with contemporary artists taking inspiration from one of our most visionary architects. This is a show that should attract anyone with an interest in art, design and architecture and I hope it will introduce many more people to Soane’s work and legacy, including his gem of a Museum in Holborn and his home at Pitzhanger Manor.’ – Boris Johnson, Mayor of London
An educational programme accompanied the exhibition, including a symposium at Somerset House, Masterclasses run by Carina Ciscato and a Village of kilns at Port Eliot.
Marking the line: Ceramics and Architecture was supported by the Arts Council England and organised by The Joanna Bird Foundation
A fully illustrated catalogue is now available to buy at the price of £10 (+1.60 p&p). To order please email your details to info@joannabirdfoundation.com
Visit our website to see more of the work that we do: https://www.joannabirdfoundation.com/
Exhibitions
Michael Cardew, Pioneer Potter Exhibition
26 September - 3 October 2012
Joanna Bird presented a seminal group of works by Michael Cardew at the Fine Art Society, London to coincide with the launch of Tanya Harrod’s major biography The Last Sane Man: Michael Cardew: Modern Pots, Colonialism, and Counterculture published by Yale University Press for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art.
The exhibition included examples of Michael’s work throughout his career. These include bowls and lamps from Winchcombe, Abuja soy and talc pots and Wenford stem cups.
Michael Cardew was one of Bernard Leach’s first pupils. In 1926, he set up a traditional English pottery in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire. His aim was to produce functional affordable pieces. He worked from grass roots, mixing his own clay body and all the pigments and glazes.
In 1939, he returned to Cornwall to set up a pottery at Wenford Bridge and in 1942, he established a pottery in Ghana. He trained West African potters and brought his western ideas and technology to the more traditional primitive pottery of West Africa.
Commissions
James Rigler Table
James Rigler was commissioned by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire to create a ceramic table, the commission was open to his interpretation within certain size limitations.
Rigler drew on his sculptural practice and previous experience with mixed media to create a table made up of five separate pieces. The final piece was created in ceramic, marble, wood, steel, gold leaf and rope.
Commissions
a sounding line by Edmund de Waal at Chatsworth
It has been a particular pleasure for Joanna to work with the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire on the installation they commissioned from British studio ceramicist Edmund de Waal.
The final work – now on display at Chatsworth – is the culmination of nearly two years’ discussion and decision-making. Entitled ‘a sounding line’, it reflects the connection Edmund felt with the historic porcelain in the State Rooms in the floor above his installation, which is located in the Chapel Passage.
Chatsworth is full of porcelain. Porcelain rests in vitrines and on desks, on mantelpieces and corbels, within fireplaces, on dining tables and stretching up to the ceiling in the porcelain room. There are formal garnitures and groupings, dinner services and wayward accretions, beautiful singletons and impressive masses: porcelain is as much a part of the texture of the place as the pictures and the furniture.
A sounding line came out of conversations with the Duke and Duchess, and the agency of Joanna Bird, to bring an installation of my porcelain into Chatsworth. Installation is ‘art-world speak’ for a sculptural grouping of work: it seemed crucial to find a way of resonating with the historic collections in a strong but sympathetic way.
The Chapel Corridor with its pairing of fireplaces and high corbels- and its softly modulated light- was the setting chosen. I’ve always wanted to make a piece that you walked along, where variations in forms and colours and tones revealed themselves as you moved and this was what I have tried to do. The feeling that I had was one of music echoing through the house- sounding and resounding. So the two mantelpieces and the high corbels have groups of twenty-four vessels that are loose ‘musical’ reflections of each other. The vessels are glazed in a spectrum of different glazes based on the celadon glazes of the Far East. Within the chimneypieces are two groups of very large white and cream-glazed lidded jars with touches of gilding, echoes of the formal 18th century groupings of jars far away in the State Rooms. For I hope that a sounding line acts as a very personal and very particular reflection on Chatsworth’s porcelain.
Edmund de Waal
The installation is made of 52 porcelain vessels in 5 celadon glazes and 14 thrown porcelain vessels in 5 white glazes
