ARCA residential courses – blog

Students on West Dean’s full-time Diploma programmes have come up with a novel way to raise funds to supplement the College’s generous bursary and scholarship scheme. The students, comprising those studying on the full-time Conservation and Making programmes in metals, clocks, musical instruments, furniture, books and ceramics, as well as creative writing students, have been working on a series of specially created ‘one-off’ pieces which will be auctioned in May.

This is the first time the College has collaborated with a professional auction house on a project of this kind. Bellmans Auctioneers in Wisborough Green, West Sussex will auction off the items on 23, 24 and 25 May 2012 and have generously agreed to waive their commission to further boost funds.

Auction items:
· Furniture. A pair of stools made in ash and walnut and finished with oil, based on a design by furniture designer and maker Tom Kealy, made by first year furniture students under his tutelage. The sweeping shape of the supports and sweeping chamfers along their edges and top gives the stools an oriental feel whilst the light colour of selected ash and the contrasting colour of the end grain of walnut give them a very distinct contemporary appeal.

· Books: Two hand-bound limp leather books with exposed sewing, complete with paper-covered box; a German springback-style hand-bound book with leather spine, marbled paper sides and vellum fore-edge with graphite head; set of six hand-bound pamphlet-style notebooks with black bookcloth spines and paper side, two small, keychain sized hand-bound books with marbled paper covers, one small hand-bound book with exposed decorative sewing holding together a flat-lying case; book necklace with blue and white marbled paper cover and black ribbon ‘chain’, book earrings with red and white Japanese paper covers and sterling silver hooks; book earrings with green, white, tan, and brown marbled paper covers; coptic-style blank journal with exposed, link-stitch sewing; blue Japanese paper covers with interior yellow endsheets and yellow thread.

· Metals. A piece of concept jewellery, designed by up-and-coming jeweller and student Sadie Chesterman-Bailey and made by her and the other metalwork students. This piece is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional decorative chatelaine, influenced by eighteenth and nineteenth century designs. (Chatelaine is a French word used to describe the mistress of a castle. She would often be wearing keys at her waist, symbolising her profession. Chatelaines have developed over time from utilitarian objects into items portraying wealth and status). Inspiration for this piece has been taken from the cast jewellery of Berlin ironworks. Included in this design are a notebook, a flask, a key, a cigarette holder, a letter opener and a stamp case.

· Stringed musical instruments. A replica of a medieval harp, based on an original from the twelfth century. A similar instrument survives and can be seen on display in Brussels, at the Musical Instrument Museum. It is tuned in the key of C, ranging on the low end from G3 (G below middle C) to D6 covering two and a half octaves using 19 strings. This follows the traditional Diatonic Pythagorean tuning system used on Western European Instruments, before the advent of the Chromatic system. The body of the harp is made from a single piece of poplar, and the arm and pillar are made from two figured pieces of ash. Gut strings are used on this instrument and it is finished with Danish oil and Tongue oil.

· Ceramics: A tall (42.6cm high) Raku Ware copped glazed vase in a hand built wrap design with textured surface decoration; a (22.3cm high) Raku Ware copper glazed vase in a hand built wrap design with textured surface decoration; a handmade Raku Ware teapot with willow-like handle and copper brush decoration; a pair of hand built white glazed stoneware plates with blue slip decoration in a traditional Japanese design; a four-piece stoneware Korean Sake set comprising a traditional green glazed sake bottle and three small matching bowls; two large Raku ware bowls with a copper and crackle glazed design inspired by the sea and its animals.

· Clocks. Hipp Toggle Clock, inspired by an article with accompanying blue print from Practical Mechanics Magazine for October 1938. The clock is made on the Hipp Toggle principle invented by Matthias Hipp (1813 – 1893) who presented it to the public in 1843. The principle is that the pendulum is given energy by electro-magnets – in this case placed placed beneath the pendulum. As the pendulum moves from side to side a loose toggle can be seen moving across a block with an inclined plane. When the aplitutide falls to a certain minimum, the toggles catches a groove in the block, which causes an electrical contact to close. This causes a current to pass through the electro-magnets, and the geometry of the clock is such that energy is imparted to the pendulum, increasing the amplitude back to its maximum. This should be capable of accuracy to within a second or two per week.

· Creative Writing. Two copies of The Iron Horse Canto by Rebecca Porter, illustrated by Sibel Ergener and bound/formatted by William Bennett, Mariko Watanabe. Synopsis: A set of surreal children’s stories, inspired by Greek myth, with a pinch of evil and a dash of gruesomeness. Illustrated. Not for children (unless you want them to have nightmares or they are particularly brave).

How to bid

Bellmans May Sale: 23, 24 and 25 May.
Bidding with Bellmans Auctioneers is very simple and can be done at the saleroom or from the comfort of your own home.
If you wish to attend the auction, viewing days take place on the 19, 21, 22 and 23 May. This gives you the opportunity to handle and inspect West Dean’s items. On the day of the sale you will be able to register, and in order to do so, a form of identification is needed. If you are unable to attend the auction, Bellmans Autioneers can take commission bids either over the phone or via the website, this gives you the opportunity to leave your highest bid for the item. If you are unable to attend but still wish to watch the auction, you can register with the-saleroom.com. This website enables you to listen to the auction and bid live. For further queries, please contact Bellmans Auctioneers on 01403 700858 or enquiries@bellmans.co.uk.

About West Dean

West Dean College is an internationally renowned centre for education and training in Conservation, Making, Visual Arts and Creative Writing, attracting students from around the world. This small, independent, mainly residential college offers advanced graduate and postgraduate study and is affiliated to the University of Sussex.

Situated at the heart of the West Dean Estate, the College is housed in Edward James’s former family home, a 19th century flint-faced mansion set in 6,400 acres of stunning landscape within the South Downs National Park. Edward James was a life-long patron of the arts and established the Edward James Foundation in 1964, a charitable educational trust which aims to provide high quality specialist education in the broad areas of conservation, visual arts, crafts, design and creative writing from foundation to doctoral level.

West Dean has always made provision for students with talent and potential, but not the funds, to study on its world renowned programmes in conservation and making, creative writing and visual arts. The College actively fundraises to secure bursaries and scholarships which are available to students through the Edward James Foundation Scholarship Fund.

About Bellmans Auctioneers and Valuers

Bellmans is an independent auction house based in Wisborough Green, West Sussex. They offer a monthly catalogued sale of nearly 2000 lots of Fine Art and collector’s items at their saleroom. Bellmans also hold a 400 lot monthly Saturday Sale which comprises an eclectic mix of antiques and collectables.

Newpound,
Wisborough Green,
Billingshurst,
West Sussex, RH14 0AZ
Telephone:01403 700858.
www.bellmans.co.uk

West Dean College, Near Chichester, West Sussex PO18 OQZ

www.westdean.org.uk

Tags: West Dean College, West Sussex