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Round the corner from Bloq was North Devon based Pacha Design. Glenn Rushbrooke and Samantha Robb’s focus is on sustainability. All of the material used in their pieces is reclaimed. It tends to be oak, but they also incorporate other materials such as steel and slate (also reclaimed). Glenn and Samantha like to let the material lead the way, keeping things simple - they both emphasise their disdain for pretension. If they do take inspiration from anywhere, it tends to be architecture, which you can see in the clean lines of their work.

 

There was a distinct buzz of activity around the Yard Sale Project’s corner booth, with the well-read keen to engage furniture maker Ian Spencer in a discussion of his and Cairn Young’s visually arresting work. He more than holds his own, displaying a thorough knowledge of his business and happily responds to the deluge of queries - and praise - coming his way. The emphasis, as you may be able to tell, is on form rather than function. Symmetry and tradition don’t interest the Yard Sale boys; chaos is far more appealing. It is a carefully planned chaos though – up to 28 technical drawings are required for the pieces, which are made from uniformly sized timber (16mm square is the ideal size found Ian). They started out by using leftovers, but they’ve now reached a point where the demand is such that they’re running out (a five figure sum is mentioned in passing). Ian cites Edward Barnsley – another advocate of scrap material - as an influence, going on to say that his work couldn’t be followed. So what else can you do but tear up the rulebook!

 

 

It’s not very often that you end up talking about 19th century marine biologists when discussing turned work, but is the work of Ernest Haeckal that influences Louise Hibbert. Her goal, she says, is, like Haeckal, to bring the unseen into people’s lives. Her work, which includes necklaces and salt and pepper pots, is beautiful but also practical. This reflects her commitment to one-day replace everything in her home with something handmade – a mission she says she is well on her way with…

 

 

Angus Ross is a firm advocate of locally sourced timber. He can be absolutely sure it’s local too as he gets it himself from a shared patch of woodland which he coppices along with the co-owner. His work is clean and elegant, and is full of loops and continuous lines rather than more organic shapes. He trained in industrial design, and calls himself a designer, rather than an artist. Usage is an important factor, and he always likes to work with his clients when developing briefs, using models (see left) to help explain what’s going on.

Gary Allson had on display some of the quieter work at Origin. His turned bowls haven’t escaped the notice of the powers that be however, and he has been nominated for a British Design Award. He only uses local (Cornish) oak, ash and walnut for his work and is committed to sustainability. The simplicity of his work reflects his training in product design, and he demands that his bowls are used and loved. This, he asserts, is the only way they can gain patina, and therefore age with dignity.

 

 

Finally, we have Sarah Thirlwell, who regular Good Wood readers will be already be familiar with. As with so many makers at the show she displayed a commitment to only using FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified timber – in her case mostly birch - in her work. Of course this being Sarah, the work on display was full of unusual materials, such as yoghurt pots and fridge doors, as well as plywood, and the aforementioned birch. Her goal, she claimed, is to use traditional skills in a contemporary context. It had certainly gone down well, and her work was selling like hot cakes.

So, that’s it for Origin 2010, overall an interesting and varied show, with plenty to see for woodworking fans. It was, however, rather quieter on this front than it has been in recent years, so we shall see what the future holds for this bastion of crafts. See the Craft Council’s website to find out about other events in the future.