In the Making: Ruskin, Creativity and Craftsmanship [ Exhibition ]

At the weekend I visited the Millenium Gallery in Sheffield to look at their exhibition 'In the Making' which runs from the 23rd of January til the 5th of June.

'John Ruskin believed the act of making represents the perfect convergence of human spirit, skill and material. For Ruskin, creative effort shapes an artist or artisan just as indelibly as they in turn shape the stone they sculpt or the fabric they weave.'

The theme of this exhibition is based on Ruskin's idea of making and is explored through a varitey of historical and contemporary art and craft.

My favourite piece from the exhibition was 'What you do* Where you're from* who you know*' by Mir Jansen and Henk Littlewood (2016). The piece is made from one 120 year old oak tree and is a collaboration of work between a woodworker (Littlewood) and a visual artist (Jansen). The tree, which began to grow in the last few years of Ruskin's life connects the time he was living to ours. The illustrations/paintings features on the inside of the structure make reference to Ruskin's many interests and influences and their relevance today.

I liked how the instillation was interactive as you could sit inside it to enjoy the work of both artists up-close and from a more interesting and engaging perspective.

The instillation on the floor of the Millenium Gallery's main walkway also caught my eye as it featured a range of vibrant prints by artist Harriet Popham inspired by objects in the Ruskin Collection.

I love the style in which these prints are drawn in and the way the composition of eat vinyl sticker has been laid out on the floor. The colours are really vibrant and make the entire theme of the exhibition seem much more current. The mix of bold shapes and hand rendered drawings also create further interest to the piece.