If you have been uninspired by the prospect of Christmas Shopping up until now, have no fear, the wonderful Field Work Pop Up Shop and gallery is returning to east London this Saturday.
Co Curated by textile designers Caitlin Hinshelwood and Rose de Borman, the third event promises to bring together another exciting selection of textiles, jewelry, knitwear, art, taxidermy, antiques, stationary, papier mache and ceramics. Spanning two weekends in December, Space 54, located in east London’s Rivington Street, will house all manner of goods produced by the designers themselves, other carefully selected independent British artists and designers as well as folk art pieces and stocking fillers collected from Mexico, India and Japan. I caught up with Caitlin and Rosie to find out a bit more about the origins of Field Work and what’s in store for this festive, third instalment.
Read the interview after the break.
Please tell me a bit about Field Work’s beginnings. When did it start and what was the motivation behind setting it up?
Our first Field Work Pop Up Shop was in November 2009. Field Work started as a way to showcase our respective work, especially as our work crosses a number of different fields, but alongside other artists, designers and friends that we admired. We wanted to design a carefully curated space that felt like a permanent shop and showcased well- crafted and interesting objects and art. We were frustrated by selling at markets where we had no control over setting or other work being sold and decided to create an environment where our work sat harmoniously with and complimented the other work on sale and the surroundings.
If you could sum up the ethos behind Field Work, what would it be?
Considered craftmanship, a sense of fun and a love of the natural world.
Is there any particular criteria behind what you choose to sell or is it just anything that catches your eyes? We pick things that we like or think are interesting and will sit together well. We want to have variety in the shop so there is not too much of the same kind of product. I suppose well made, individual objects that aren’t in lots of shops already. There is definitely an emphasis on the products being hand crafted and sold in limited quantities. We chose the title ‘Field Work’ because of the evocations of toil, hand work, and the outside, and we like things that we feel fit in with this genre.
Can you give me examples of the range of items you’ve sold in the past?
Taxidermy, antiques, papier mache animal masks, hand printed cushions, ceramics, hand knits, bird shaped lavender bags, prints, stationery, clothing, gift cards, plastic hermit crab magnets…
I hear you two are selling things you bought on a recent trip to Mexico, please tell me a bit about your trip and some of the delights you bought back for Field Work?
We went to Mexico in October on a long research trip where we sourced products for the shop. Mexico has an amazing craft tradition and it was so inspiring to see it still flourishing. We found genuine folk art you could buy directly from the makers. We brought back decorations (the Mexicans are big into decorating, there are whole shops dedicated to it!), tin pieces from Oaxaca, papier mache figurines and masks, Day of the Dead related goods (some amazing ceramics), milagros, egg firecrackers and all sorts of treasures for the shop. It has also fed into some of the new work we’ve been creating in terms of imagery and colour
Can you tell me about some of your own products you will personally be selling at the Christmas Field Work? We have both produced lots of hand screen-printed textiles for the shop – cushions, purses, bags, lavender bags, garments. We share a respect for the process of hand dyeing and screen printing so often pieces are carefully created one-off’s. Caitlin has been working on a new collection of space inspired prints which will be launched at the shop. The Cosmonaut Cushions celebrate ‘firsts’ into space. Rose has a beautiful collection of hand painted silk cushions featuring a vast menagerie of creatures and some new, hand-coloured silky rainbow trout lavender bags.
What items by other artists and designers that will be available?
Long-standing Field Work contributor Jazmine Miles-Long is joining us again with a selection of her incredible taxidermy, this time all sea birds. The artists Kate Morrell is exhibiting some her flint pieces and will have some replica arrow head pendants beautifully laquered in blue. Kitty Farrow is a London based bookbinder and we will be selling her hand made books and notepads. Shipping Forecast Knits are providing us with some hand knitted hats and socks all made from British wool. We will be stocking Kirsten Hecktermann’s hand carved wood and bone spoons again.
Thank you ladies!
Field Work can be found at 54 Rivington Street, London EC2A 3QN.
It opens this Saturday 10th December at 10am, with mince pies and mulled cider from 2pm.
There is a late night Private View on Thursday 15th from 6.30-9pm where there will be drinks, to tie in with local exhibition openings.
The Shop will be open from Saturday the 10th 10am-7pm every day until Sunday the 18th. Cash or Cheques only.
