Celebrating process as well as outcome - in pottery, and weaving

This morning we went to the Craft Study Centre in Farnham to visit two exhibitions.  The first of these was Leach Pottery: the sound of it.

Bernard Leach's individual pots are showcased, as well as design drawing, and production ware - and are put in a making context with a film of the potter himself working and talking.  Also there is current work from the Leach Pottery now. (The pots in the display cases also made fascinating shadows.)

It is very much an exhibition which focuses attention on the making as important as the final object.  An interactive display produces the sounds of the stages of making - sounds in the various departments, including the music playing while the potters work.

Upstairs the exhibition is on the tapestry weaving process: Artists meet their Makers.  This examines the process of making tapestries from art in other media.  The artists in this case are Henry Moore,

Underground sleepers (woven sample left, and cartoon right by weavers Penny Bush and Pat Taylor - the project went into limbo when Moore died)

Henry Moore: Underground sleepers

Basil Beattie, Rebecca Salter,

Rebecca Salter: Untitled 2015-32 Old Holland Neutral Tint ink on Japanese paper

The tapestry of Rebecca Salter's work, in progress (Michael Brennand-Wood's finished tapestry piece seen on left of pic., and Basil Beattie's painting and tapestry just beyond loom)

Philip Sanderson was taking a break from weaving

Woven samples, yarn choices, and ink swatches for the Salter piece.

Emma Biggs and Matthew Collings, (seen below watching the weaving process)

(image above from here)

Michael Brennand-Wood,

Michael Brennand-Wood: Transformer (woven by Philip Sanderson)

(image above from here)

and Tracey Emin.

Philip Sanderson has a piece of his own work in the exhibition too.

Cordis Prize 2016 shortlisted tapestry: No.13 Thurst Block Shoe 

I found the exhibition interesting, informative, and inspirational.  I am not weaving, of course, but it filled me full of work enthusiasm.