Oliver apprenticed as a traditional boatbuilder, which is where he developed his affinity for the properties and potential manipulations of wood. He honed his skills as a joiner, designing and making furniture using British timber, locally sourced from individuals and small-scale mills to ensure a rigorous understanding of the material’s provenance.
In Oliver’s words: “The stone monolith is central to each piece, resting stable and upright. They are reminiscent of the stoic quality of mountains, especially in Sutherland where they rise out of the earth, dramatically.”
- Stories
- Connect To The Crafter
Connect To The Crafter
In the spirit of celebrating the rich heritage craft alive in Scotland we wanted to spotlight some of the artisans whose artwork features in our Autumn/Winter 2024 Cashmere Campaign held at Bard.
Oliver Spendley
Cara Guthrie
Ceramicist Cara Guthrie is one of Scotlands best. She apprenticed in rural Denmark in the studio of Kasper Wurtz, and then in the Lake District under William Plumptre, before setting up her studio in The Pentlands. Her ceramics have a generosity of form and spirit; an archetypal simplicity elevated with a gentle playfulness. These are pieces of character and feeling that one is drawn to beyond function or aesthetic.
Studio Viv Lee
Artist Viv Lee was born in Hong Kong and now is based in Glasgow. Viv Lee crafts sculptural vessels as a response to exploring the materiality of clay and the metaphor of the body as a vessel. Working with stoneware and terracotta, she uses slow-making techniques such as pinching and coiling, drawn to the meditative properties of these techniques. Vessels are glazed in natural earthy tones or left unglazed to show the body of the clay. A neutral palette allows the formal aspects of the pieces to stand out, emphasising the connection of both body and vessel to the primordial body, Mother Earth. Inspired by the beautiful irregularity of nature, Viv’s practice is influenced by ancient cultures and the belief in the body and the earth as sacred.
Eve Eunson
Eve Eunson is a designer maker based in Shetland, her work is inspired by the vernacular furniture of Fair Isle. Her work continues to preserve the heritage craft practice in wood and straw to promote the Fair Isle Strawback Chair Knotting technique and pass the skills and the longevity of Scotlands Heritage.
James Rigler
Glasgow and Paisley-based ceramic artist studied ceramics at Brighton before completing his MA at the Royal College of Art, London. His ceramic sculptures take inspiration from historic architectural forms, though these are simultaneously amplified and reduced, in scale, form, and finish.
Johnathan Freemantle
Jonathan Freemantle, an Edinburgh-based South African artist explores the relationships between body, time, and the earth and how they can be used as material for inspiration. The two sculptures that feature at BARD are titled ‘The Fallen Tree”.
Bard is home to many skilled artisans, you can discover their work at the flagship shop and gallery based in Leith, Edinburgh.
