26 September – 19 October 2008
Saturday & Sunday 1-5pm
Creekside Centre
14 Creekside SE8 4SQ
Shards of 18th and 19th century blue and white ceramic, found on the beach at Deptford, Greenwich, the South Bank and Kent, are assembled in the shape of the Eastern hemisphere 0n a 10ft circle of gravel already onsite. This ‘world in pieces’ attempts to recall the historical roots of blue and white earthenware, the passion for all things oriental, and the trade in tea and porcelain that led to England becoming the stronghold of one of the first mass-marketed products of the Industrial Revolution — blue and white transfer printed pottery. Manufactured in its millions, it was intrinsically interwoven with the growth and popularity of tea — a once sacred Chinese beverage reduced to a mere commodity in a traumatic encounter between East and West.
With thanks to Nick Bertrand and Kate Coss and all at Creekside Centre for their support, Paul Prestidge (Creekside EducationTrust) for the secret location of the Kent beach, Kate Sutton at The Museum of London, Christine Stewart and Maria Clemen who helped with beachcombing, and Shaun Barnett, Bill & Gus Clift for donating their own collections.
www.creeksidecentre.org.uk
www.deptfordx.org
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