For far too long The Black Country has been forgotten as a place with a rich and diverse craft heritage. Made notoriously famous for all the wrong reasons by Queen Victoria, who asked for the blinds on her carriage to be shut on her way through the area. The Black Country has become synonymous with Britain’s industrial age and it’s pollution ever since.
However, a selection of the area’s galleries and museums have chosen to fight back and together have teamed up to commission three unique pieces from designers Sarah Thirlwell, Rebecca Gouldson and Adam Paxon.
The first release from the range is by Sarah Thirlwell, who has created two elegant timber candlesticks, utilizing traditional craft to create a contemporary design. The candlesticks come in two sizes and have a limited edition run of just 50, prices begin at £45 for the smaller set.
Designer Rebecca Gouldson has produced two enamel and copper brooches, using an OS Map of the area as a design reference, they are really stunning pieces with a classic look. The brooches range in price from £42 – £50 depending on size – pictured above.
The final price in the collection is from internationally acclaimed designer Adam Paxon, who has created a striking pin brooch for Buy Black Country. Made from layers of acrylic, the pin teases out the hidden qualities of the material and emphasises acrylic’s ability to act as a receptacle of light. Priced at £80 each there are only 50 of these exclusive pieces available.
The five limited edition commissions are available to buy now from Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Bilson Craft Gallery, Walsall Leather Museum, The Black Country Living Museum, Broadfield Glass Museum, The Red House Glass Core and online at Culture Label.
Buy Black Country will be followed by further commissions in Spring 2011 and we can’t wait to see more of their craft offerings.
Area Culture Guide 