The Cutting Edge: Scotland's Contemporary Crafts

The Cutting Edge is a major new touring exhibition of the best of contemporary Scottish craft. 

Catriona Baird, exhibition project curator, explains the background to exhibition which is running at the National Museum of Scotland from 26 January until 29 April 2007 then visiting Kilmarnock, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

White metal, wood, green garnet, green coral (heart), agate, plastic readymade

'The Cutting Edge exhibition showcases the most innovative, challenging and skilful craft work currently being produced in Scotland.  One hundred and twenty eight makers submitted proposals at the initial selection stage and thirty makers are now represented in this major exhibition.

The exhibition is the result of a three year partnership project involving four of Scotland’s museum services who have a particular interest in supporting contemporary craft makers and exhibiting their work.  Aberdeen City Council, East Ayrshire Council, Glasgow City Council and National Museums of Scotland are all committed to promoting Scotland’s contemporary crafts.

Makers were chosen based on criteria including their ability to push boundaries, challenge themselves and their practice, use new materials and ways of working, or for the very high level of skill employed in the production of their work.  A wide range of media and processes are represented in the exhibition including acrylic and Perspex, fibre optics, electroforming and lighting effects.

The Cutting Edge title of the exhibition refers to the fact that the participating makers are at the forefront of craft practice in Scotland with some leading their particular field internationally. The title also refers to the range of tools used in craft work which are represented in the exhibition.

The exhibition is supported by an illustrated publication which includes commissioned essays looking at various aspects of Scotland’s contemporary crafts and the participating makers’ work along with contributions from all the makers and images of their work by Shannon Tofts. A DVD showing some of the makers at work will run in the gallery along with audio interviews with most of the makers to give an additional insight into craft practice in Scotland.'

Participating makers are Malcolm Appleby, Jilli Blackwood, Ruth Chalmers, Peter Chang, Gillian Cooper, Jack Cunningham, Stooshie Design, Mark Devlin, Lizzie Farey, Ray Flavell, Rachel Hazell, Dorothy Hogg MBE, Adrian Hope, Sarah Keay, Sara Keith, Alison Kinnaird MBE, Andrew Lamb, Ann Little, Michael Lloyd, Grant McCaig, Helen McPherson, Jan Milne, Roger Morris, Keiko Mukaide, Laura Murray, Mai Ørsted, Stephen Richard, Sarah-Jane Selwood, Sarah Taylor and Simon Ward.

The Cutting Edge exibition runs at the National Museum of Scotland from 26 January to 29 April 2007. The exibition will then visit: - The Dick Institute, Kilmarnock from 26 May to 30 June 2007 - Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow from 20 September to 25 November 2007 - Aberdeen Art Gallery from 9 February to 12 April 2008.

Funded by the National Lottery through the Scottish Arts Council.