Great vase, crazy story

 

Exactly two hundred and thirty-one years ago, a reproduction of the 'Portland Vase' (an object made in Rome in the first century) went on show in London.  It was such a popular event that tickets had to be sold to restrict the flow of visitors.

The original vase (see pic above) is made of glass. However, strangely, a glass copy of it would have been impossible in the eighteenth century, so the reproduction, made by Josiah Wedgwood at his factory in North Staffordshire, is a pottery version - 'jasperware'. 

In Staffordshire we know Josiah's copy very well, because it was his crowning achievement, which took him four years to perfect.    It is vibrantly yet delicately beautiful; there is no doubt of that.  You can still see one of Josiah's versions at the V&A Museum.

By the way, the story of the original vase would make a great film - full of crazy people, obsessed people and shocking moments.  It must be made!

++++

To comment on this post, just use the Comments field down this page

To get an email alert into your inbox every time we make a new post (about once a week), just put your email address into the Follow By Email Box (in the column to the right on this page) and hit Submit.  Your email address is kept private and never reused

Flying insects art

The Staffordshire University Arts Graduates Final Show is on in Stoke this week – dozens of rooms of new, original work. It makes for an insight into what art schools are teaching now and how their students are responding.

This piece is from the Fine Art department.
Called Absconditus, by Zoe Tomlinson, it highlights the plight of species-endangered flying insects. The works are hung lightly from the ceiling and, because they are at head-height, one can walk ‘through’ them. It creates an odd feeling - passing through a crowd of creatures that are slowly disappearing from the Earth.

Fine art borders

For all the talk about migration, not one of us would want to be out there on the migrant road, existing in squalid, horrible conditions.and fleeing from them too.  Behind all the rights & wrongs, and all the arguments, it's no place that any of us want to be.
This installation art-work, part of the Foundation Year exhibits at the Staffordshire University Fine Art Show really brought this home, I thought.  
What a horror to have to be in a world where no-one wants you.  Pity The Poor Immigrant, as Bob Dylan said.

Fine art rabbits

The Staffordshire University Fine Art Show for its final-year students should be a glorious romp of creativity; and fizzing with original ideas.  You're only young once!
But for the past few years, it has been rather dull and uninspired in my opinion. Some stuff looks very professional, yes - but flat - while the rest is just take-it-or-leave-it.
The university has also hidden the exhibtion away, off the main site, as though somehow this work doesn't fit with the smart design courses in the rest of the institution.

The work of Lisa Nash (above) did seem striking though. She is trying to grasp just how and why animals have become so central in our imaginations.
The figure is holding a new-born/foetus rabbit.

Is this Sam Johnson I see?

Lichfield Festival is upon us soon (starts July 1st), and no doubt there will be lots of references to the city's most famous son, Doctor Samuel Johnson.

The city is so proud of the famous eighteenth-century "scribbler" that this rather startling mosaic (erected 1976) can be seen on one street-corner as a sort of tribute to him.
However, it would be interesting to know how many passers-by could correctly identify it as a depiction of Sam. He's not as famous as he was.

Too graphic for church?

This curiously sexual wooden panel relief can be seen in the Lady Chapel of Saint Edward Confessor Church at Leek.  The church is the grand old lady of Leek and is fascinating for any visitor, especially anyone who likes stained-glass.

I thought this depiction of The Annunciation was rather graphic for a church (or am I just old-fashioned?), so I bought the guide to find out when it had been done, and by whom.  It's actually quite a fine piece of work anyway.
However... the guide does not mention this piece at all. I wonder if the wardens preferred not to draw attention to it?

Sir Robert Peel & Sgt Pepper

The only Staffordshire person to appear on the Beatles' Sergeant Pepper album cover is, as far as I know, Sir Robert Peel, the nineteenth century politician.  
Sir Robert came from south Staffordshire, was MP for Tamworth, and one of the country's better Prime Ministers.  I have a soft spot for him, as, in 1846, fighting his own supporters, he pushed through the repeal of the notorious Corn Laws, which had caused so much misery.

But why Peter Blake (the artist who created the cover) and/or the Beatles themselves picked Sir Robert to be one of their crowd, I do not know. Nor can I find out.  If you know, please let me know too!

Sir Robert is the black-and-white figure, two in from the left on the second row down.  Just underneath the infamous magus Aleister Crowley.