Centurion Middle East Spring 2023

|Objects| Clockwise from

|Objects| Clockwise from top left: Powerful Ordinary Bonds – objets d’art by Juli Bolaños-Durman: woven ceramic vessels by Rachel Bower and Maria Nordgren: Seaweed Ripple No 3 by Jasmine Linington; recycled Burton flower pots by Glasgow-based maker Ocean Plastic Pots Much of what’s for sale at Bard has either been specially commissioned or, in some cases, rescued, after a conversation with the craftsperson. For instance, a series of white stoneware woven baskets were an experiment between ceramicist Maria Nordgren and Forfar-based willow-weaver Rachel Bower, and discovered at the back of a shelf in the PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: EDVINAS BRUZAS (3), NORMAN WILCOX-GEISSEN 34 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOS FROM TOP: NORMAN WILCOX-GEISSEN, EDVINAS BRUZAS latter’s studio, while a knotted wall hanging made from washed-up rope by tour-guide-turned-maker Mark Cook (aka A Frayed Knot) was spotted hanging on his shed. “It’s a wonderful example of folk art in that it was made for the joy of making rather than with the intention of it being seen by anyone,” says Stevens. There are also pieces by those who have chosen to make Scotland their home, and respond to the country in some way, such as Glasgow-based South Korean artist Soorin Shin, who creates totem artworks from recycled plastics at her Wobbly Digital studio, and Juli Bolaños-Durman, originally from Costa Rica, who makes vessels and objects made mainly from recycled glass at her Edinburgh studio. As well as offering a platform for experimentation and growth, the pair were keen to show the works in a domestic setting – about as far away from a blank white gallery or typical retail space as you’d expect. “It was my intention when creating the space that it did feel like someone’s home,” says Stevens. “Often when walking into a gallery you have a disconnect from reality and objects are turned into hallowed things. We want people to be able to imagine these pieces in their own homes.” This approach also, they hope, encourages visitors to slow down and be curious about the story behind each object. “We’re so keen that customers don’t just see this as somewhere to pick something up, ask how much it is, then leave with it in a bag. We want to show how to live with crafts comfortably and the joy these objects give when you use or see them every day,” continues Macdonald. Part of their mission – to broaden people’s understanding and appreciation of Scottishness – will be even more apparent when the exhibition programme launches in July to coincide with the Edinburgh Festival. For the first show, 100 x 100, they are asking 100 Scots (everyone from politicians to public figures, key workers to schoolchildren) to choose an object that they feel embodies Scottishness. “The intention is to ask questions about what cultural identity is. Rather than it always being our lens, we’re keen to make sure that the exhibition, and Bard as a whole, is about as many voices as possible,” says Stevens. “Craft isn’t an aesthetic or a set of materials. It’s simply the act of making and knowledge in people’s hands. So many things can represent the ingenuity, joyfulness and playfulness that feels, to us, very Scottish.” bard-scotland.com Above: Feasting platter by Claire Henry; below: the second storey at Bard showcases the Moonlight low table by Alistair Byars, ash-glazed vases by Jonathan Wade, a sheepskin by SkyeSkyns and a Victorian sofa from a castle clearance CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 35