Institute of Play

Bricks, blocks and architectural toys

6 November 2010 - 27 March 2011

Artist Colin Booth has constructed a series of towers made from foam rubber and specially commissioned wooden blocks, which form the centrepiece of an historical survey of children's play bricks and architectural toys dating back to the 1830s.

Colin Booth 2010 (click image for larger version)

Building tower-like structures or creating cityscape-like installations with recycled blocks of wood has a clear connection with the way in which children build towers from toy bricks - and then gain just as much pleasure from knocking them down and starting again.

Although Booth's practice is rooted in early Modernist art, architecture and design, he is equally interested in the idea of imperfection. Booth often contrasts the hand-made with the machine-made, working with discarded or overlooked materials and positioning them alongside precision-made supports and beautifully crafted objects. Further pieces of his work are inspired by the Museum's collection, bringing together the methods and materials of his work in the studio as an artist with the children's bricks, blocks and architectural toys on display.