Since beginning this blog early in 2009, Ihave been trying to come up with examples in which preparatory sketches have a direct impact on a finished design. But only now, as 2010...
Today is my last day as a resident at the V&A. Everything is packed into boxes, ready for me to take home, the walls have now returned to their plain white after having been...
This is more of a series of blog entries in one, since it is talking about the whole process of this project from beginning to end. Why not write the entries as the thing...
This post has been contributed by Polly Hunter, a second-year MAstudent on the V&A/RCACourse in the History of Design. In it she discusses two extraordinary promotional images...
Christmas is looming, the weather is rather grim, and the museum is unusually very quiet. I spend the week making a clay model and casting the plaster mould for a small...
to count our blessings. Before I sign off for the Christmas holidays I would like to share with you some very poignant and extraordinary stories. The first revolves around a young...
By Stuart Frost There is an extensive and varied programme of events to support the Medieval & Renaissance Galleries. Activities, talks, special projects and lectures will...
The first thing I did on discovering Google Earth (a few years ago) was to steer to the snaking, ridged vast expanses of a big hot arid desert ‐ probably it was the Sahara....
Thanks to everyone who added work to the giant comic in the Stories for Humans display. I am hoping to get a digital version on the web, so that it will be possible to read the...
In my second visit to Blythe House I trawl the Asian showcases for skeuomorphic vessels, and turn up dozens of examples; mostly forms emulating Chinese ceremonial bronze vessels,...
It has been totally fascinating to witness senior textile conservator, Elizabeth-Anne Haldane's meticulous conservation of this beautiful piece over the last year or so. In this...
This week we received some early Christmas presents from India - from two...
Apologies for the rather patchy postings - a combination of technical hitches and label deadlines. It's been a stressful couple of weeks - culminating in my 30 second...
In my regular browsings of the ceramic collections I am struck by the number of ‘skeuomorphic’ vessels I encounter. (Skeuomorphism has been defined as ‘the...
Sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am to work at the V&A, and the past week has been one of those times. First we opened the majestic new Medieval and Renaissance...
By Stuart Frost The first meeting of the Concept Team, a group of four people whose role was to shape and steer the development of the Medieval & Renaissance Galleries,...
The week is taken up with more drawing. I’ve added another element to the mix, a range of textile, print and surface patterns from the museum collections. These have been...
Nipped up to Manchester the weekend before last (if you can actually nip anywhere on the rail network at weekends) to spend a couple of hours at ‘See, Sew and Chat with...
Following up my interest in the collection archive material, curator Alun Graves directs me to the central inventory records, and the collection and subject indexes. These are...
By Stuart Frost I’ve chosen to illustrate this blog entry with a manuscript leaf that was orginally part of a choirbook made around 1250, probably in Germany. The leaf is...
The opening to the public of the new Medieval and Renaissance Galleries is imminent! A suite of ten galleries will house a sumptuous array of nearly two thousand objects including...
A selection of drawings and designs from the weekend workshop at Birmingham Art Gallery… done by all ages - mostly at the younger end of the spectrum; from age 2 (!) to...
This week I made my first visit to Blythe House, the museum storehouse at Olympia (a real treasure-trove of precious, obscure and wonderful objects) and where the study collection...
During this afternoon's scheme design presentation, Sou Fujimoto explained how his acrylic tree structure, the Outside/Inside Tree has been greaty rationalised and simplified....
The Japanese architect, Terunobu Fujimori arrived in London today, and he started off with a visit to the V&AMedieval &Renaissance Daylit Gallery where he will be building...
I love reading the various posts on this blog – and was particularly intrigued by Julie'ssuggestion that I was the Poirot of the V&A!Of course I am not alone in...
This afternoon we had a scheme design presentation from Studio Mumbai (Director, Bijoy Jain and Michael Anastassiades - a long-term collaborator). The design has changed quite...
I’ll be in Birmingham this weekend running a drop in workshop for families as part of the Taking Time programme of events (see post below). Each living thing has specific...
Calculus 2009 2 x 3 m natural stone on gesso (photo credit: John Coombes) Calculus “…To see a World in a Grain of Sand…” William Blake I wanted to take...
The artists of Northeast Arnhem Land are famous for the quality of their fine bark paintings. In my search to find images on the Yirrkala.com website I kept being drawn to the...