Ecology Meets Craft

July 26th - September 7th 2008

Rivers and wetlands are beautiful places providing a range of wildlife habitats for many plants, birds and animals. Walford Mill is no exception and often has sightings of many different wildlife creatures, including otters. Walford Mill Crafts is fortunate to be situated in a unique position on an island surrounded by water on all sides, the River Allen, the Mill Stream and the Mill Pond.

Inspired by this natural surrounding, Walford Mill has decided to bring ecology and craft together in an eco exhibition. The 'Ecology Meets Craft' exhibition highlights makers who use materials in a sustainable manner or portray wildlife within their craftwork.

The relationship between living things and their environment has always been fascinating for humans. Craftspeople who are taking part in this exhibition are some of those who have implemented their fascination into their creations.

Jonathan Garratt, one of Britain's foremost garden artists who will be exhibiting at Ecology Meets Craft, has specialised in making distinctive and unusual terracotta pots for gardens. He produces a wide selection of shapes for specific plant habits; grasses, trailing, succulents, bulbs, annuals and architectural. All the pots are made from local clay refined at the pottery and are fired exclusively with wood from the locality to produce subtle, natural colours on the finished work. Jonathan makes artworks for green spaces, taking traditional ideas of sculpture one step further by 'knitting' the pieces into the planting: a way of engaging more directly with the natural world.

Another exhibitor, Jane Price will be exhibiting her work that is exploratory and investigates the obsessive nature of containers and the contained. She uses the intrinsic characteristics of silk wastes and plant fibres to make large and small artworks embellished with scorching, staining, pleating and machine embroidery.

Come and visit 'Ecology Meets Craft' to appreciate and enjoy mixed contemporary craft work by local and national craftspeople in the Philip Goulden Gallery at Walford Mill Crafts, from July 26th until September 7th.

For more information about our Artistic Policy please click here.