From ceramics to wallpaper – Spring Fling shows how you can furnish and decorate completely from Dumfries and Galloway
Parts of a Dumfries art gallery have been transformed so visitors can see how beautiful craft, design and visual art would look in their own homes.
The Spring Fling @ Home exhibition, which opens at the Gracefield Arts Centre on Saturday 15 March, shows how you can get a full range of high-quality furnishings and decorations which are all created in Dumfries and Galloway.
Lucianne Lassalle, a sculptor from the hamlet of Wallaceton, said: “Most work is made for a home not a gallery. This is a great chance to visualise what things will really look like in your own house.”
Lucianne is known for her highly dramatic sculptures, which include fabulous figures of wild creatures which are part human and part animal.
The exhibition also reflects how much work produced by the region’s designers and makers is intended to be used rather than just displayed.
Clare Dawdry, who makes functional stoneware and earthenware, said: “I’m really excited about this exhibition because it will put my work in context, rather than having it up on a white plinth.
“I make pots which I hope people will enjoy using in their own homes and which will enhance the experience of eating and cooking.”
Clare, based in Kirkpatrick Durham, was originally inspired by a friend in Australia. She said: “When I went round there I loved choosing the pots and plates we would eat from.
“It’s something I now want to offer other people – everything I make is home-made and hand thrown on the wheel. No piece is ever exactly the same, so people have something that is distinctively theirs to enjoy.”
Furniture maker Pete Brown, from Eskdalemuir, is also delighted to have his work exhibited in a home-style environment.
He said: “Everything I make is intended for the home, so it’s great that it’s going to be displayed in a more homely setting.”
Pete, who as well as making furniture is a member of the Moffat Mountain Rescue Team, has spent many years honing his skills – including a period helping with the restoration of a chateau in the south of France.
He specialises in hard woods and is known for the quality and durability of his designs.
“I pay close attention to detail, that’s something which is very important to me. And I also expect what I create to outlast me!”
Peter’s clients are from all over the world and can now be found in some very exclusive residences – one customer had a piece flown home by private jet.
Urpu Sellar, from Dundrennan, is a ceramicist whose work brings out the humour in the everyday. She said: “What’s lovely about this exhibition is that it’s a chance to see art and craft in its natural habitat – which is the home.”
The exhibition is produced by Spring Fling, the Dumfries and Galloway visual art and craft movement, which is currently promoting the region’s creative community through a series of regional and UK exhibitions.
Leah Black, Spring Fling Director, said: “There is so much creativity in Dumfries and Galloway that we wanted to show how you could furnish and decorate your home from high-quality work produced within the region.
“These days the range extends from wallpapers, textiles and pictures through to furniture and ceramics – the creativity of our region is quite amazing.
“And when people buy visual art or craft, it’s normally for the home, so we thought it would be really useful for people to get an idea of what something looks like in a domestic setting.”
