As part of the wedgwood museum project we
were encouraged to interview two people connected to the project and find out
there view on the Museum, project an anything else we would be interested to
learn.
I contacted Ms Emma Mather, Learning and
Access Officer at the museum, and received some really interesting views on the
Wedgwood museum as well as talking about what she has learnt whilst working
there.
Here is what she had to say.
What is your favourite
piece of work, collection or designer in the
museum?
My favourite piece is a perhaps the most
difficult question, I think a piece I like the best is the tray of Jasper
Trials.
Jasper Trials
As a visual piece I love the colours and the shape of the tiles, also
the impressed letters at the top of each trial indicating where it had
been placed in the kiln or the written numbers relating each trial to its
recipe in the Josiah's experiment book. This tray of trials is one of many
we have in the museum collection and of course was never meant to be viewed
as a aesthetically pleasing piece in its own right. The trials were a
working document.I also like them because the illustrate Josiah Wedgwood
the man and his great desire to develop new bodies and glazes and his
attention to detail when keeping records, also his desire to improve the
pottery industry in general as well as his own products.
What first drew you to working with Wedgwood pottery?
I came to The Wedgwood Museum after
working as a Education Officer at Ceramica which was a visitor experience for
children in Burlslem, My background is in Contemporary Applied Arts
specialising in ceramics and embroidery. After Ceramica I came to The Wedgwood
Museum in 2008 as a member of the front of house staff and began to do
guided tours and learn a more about the collection. I then went on maternity
leave to have my son and whenI returned there was a position available in the
Education Department. This is what I am doing now, it is perfect for me as it
allows me to expand my knowledge of the collection and to work with people of
all ages. Helping them to enjoy and appreciate the fantastic collection we
have.
Who in your opinion are the most prominent designers in the Wedgwood
collection?
I guess the most prominent are the most
well known and they would be the 20th century designers such as Daisy Makeig
Jones and Keith Murray and people like Eric Ravilious. Keith Murray’s work was
usually marked with his own back stamp as well as the Wedgwood back stamp,
which is unusual in the history of Wedgwood as many designers were not
allowed to sign their work. Of course as well as those people who are
interested in designers to many others Wedgwood is known for 'that blue and
white stuff' Jasper is a body that people either love or hate and some visitors
think that is all Wedgwood made. They are often surprised by the variety
of different ware on display.
Keith Murray Vase 1935
What is the most
surprising thing you have learnt about Wedgwood since
working with them?
I think the most surprising thing I have
learnt is about Josiah Wedgwood himself and his attitude to women. He was
very modern in his opinions and not at all what we would imagine a 18th century
man to be like. He had a great relationship with his wife and considered her to
be a very important part of his work both in the practical help she gave him
with his experiments and in the styling and designing of the ware. He realised
in a time when women were really considered second-class citizens that in fact
they were the ones who were buying the ceramics to decorate their homes and
therefore spending the money. The whole shopping experience he created
was catered to women and how they would like to shop and he made the products
they would like to buy.
What criteria are needed for an object to be put on display, and how
often are the collections changed around?
The criteria for an object to be on
display are varied really, In this museum we tell the story of Wedgwood from
Josiah Wedgwood's birth in 1730 all the way through to the 20th century. We
have many ceramic items on display but also pieces of supporting archive which
help to tell the story.
At The moment the display is changed very little as that story would be
affected. We do however use the temporary exhibition case at the exist of the
gallery to host small exhibitions by different artists and designers.
How do you see ceramics developing in the future, and how do you feel the
museum will be a part of that?
I think that the ceramics produced in the
future will reflect the growing desire for people to know where products have
originated from, I hope this means people will start to invest in well
made and well deigned English ceramics rather that cheap ceramics made abroad.
This I hope will support our designers like yourself and redevelop the
ceramic industry in Stoke On Trent. I hope the museum can be a part of this by
running projects like the souvenir project, asking young designers to use our
collection to create new work and giving them an opportunity to sell that work
from our shop.
Projects like this help our collection to live on by inspiring new
work.
What do you feel is the role of the ceramics industry in general?
The ceramic industry should be supporting
young designers in developing careers. Creating a product that is
affordable for the general public without compromising on design and
manufacturing as much as possible in the UK.
What is the next major event you will be a part of commemorating at the
museum?
We are currently working on a list of events,
exhibition and film
projects and education resources to commemorate World War 1. These
will explore the Wedgwood family/ factory/ workers roll in the conflict
and will roll out over the next 4 years.
The Wedgwood Museum: http://www.wedgwoodmuseum.org.uk/home
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I also talked to one of my peers, Chloe Dymond to find out how she was feeling about our project.
What piece or pieces did you find most inspiring in the collection?
From the museums collection I was most inspired by the black basalt pieces made by Robert Minkin.
Robert Minkin 1967
Did you find the museum engaging and well presented?
I felt the museum was very engaging and the layout had a good flow to it.
Do you feel Wedgwood still has a large influence on the ceramics industry now?
I believe this is true Wedgwood still play a major part of ceramics today. As shown within this brief, we have been given, the museum collections has inspired new collection to be made.
What are you hoping to gain from the experience of this project?
I expected to gain experience and exploration in making, marketing and selling.
Did anything in the museum surprise you?
I
was surprise at
how different aspect of the 20th century collections look key
contemporary. For instance the bright acrylic packaging box by Eduardo Paolozzi.
(Chloe's lovely blog is available here > http://chloedymonddesigns.blogspot.co.uk/)
I would like to say thank you to both Emma and Chloe for answering my questions.
