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“I used to take jewellery very seriously, frustrated by people’s failure to perceive the significance of intimate physical, sentimental and emotional interaction between wearers and their bits of jewellery. .
During a gap of twenty years I had no workshop, made nothing and was totally occupied by other things, indisputably more important.
Now the pleasure of gentle teasing and questioning replaces the passionate determination to make non-verbal statements of position. Now I can enjoy making and experimenting without feeling guilt that I should be doing something significant. Now I don’t (much) care whether or not jewellery is trivial as long as the little journey that it allows me to travel is illuminating and enjoyable.
Communication with other people through the dialogue of performer-and-audience remains fun, but public performance is neither as important nor as pleasurable as it used to seem.
The greater the significance claimed by Art and the more preciousness with which it is regarded, the less it actually has. The same goes for artists.
A potter friend once explained to me that the world gave him huge amounts of input that he digested and was nourished by. The work that he made, his little green-brown pots, were merely the by-product of this process of nourishment, described as his ‘turds’. These turds, though by-products, are indicators of what has been digested and understood, and of the journey that has been travelled.
This makes sense to me.”
David Poston
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BORN 18 May 1948 in Moscow, Russia. British. Married, 2 children
EDUCATION:
Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering), 1991, University of Warwick, UK, “The Development of Rural Manufacturing Industries in Central Africa, with special reference to metalworking.” Hornsey College of Art (Middlesex University): Diploma, Jewellery Design, 1970
EMPLOYMENT:
2003 – present: Independent Consultant & Designer (Contracts include: *UN Industrial Dev. Org. *Eco-Innovations Ltd, *Therataxis llc)
2000 – 2003: Programme Leader, Silver & Jewellery Design, Loughborough University
1993 – 2000: Independent Consultant (Contracts included: * Johns Hopkins Singapore *Centre for Information-Enhanced Medicine (National University of Singapore) *UN Industrial Development Organisation *Reach-In Technologies Ab, Stockholm *Oy Finnagro Ab, Finland (RIPS Programme, Tanzania) *National Agricultural Extension Project, Ghana (World Bank/Agrisystems) *UN Food & Agriculture Organisation *International Labour Organisation *Oy Finnconsult Ab, Finland *The London Institute *Loughborough University *University of Ulster *University of Derby *Intermediate Technology Development Group *Intermediate Technology Consultants Ltd *UK Crafts Council)
1991 – 1992: Team Leader, Village Artisans Project, Lindi & Mtwara, Tanzania
1988 – 1991: Programme Manager, Intermediate Technology Development Group
1984 – 1988: Research Officer, University of Humberside
1970 – 1984: Designer - Craftsman, self-employed.
Public collections:
Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Crafts Council, London, National Gallery, Melbourne, Australia, Galerie Ra, Amsterdam, Toorak State College, Melbourne, Australia, Helen Williams Drutt Gallery, Philadelphia, USA, Birmingham City Museum & Art Gallery, Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh, Lincoln Cathedral, Shipley Art Gallery & Museum, Tyne & Wear, East Midlands Arts Assoc., West Midlands Arts Assoc., Lincolnshire & Humberside Arts Assoc., Leeds City Museum.
Exhibitions:
1994 "What is Jewellery?" exhibition curator, Crafts Council.
1986 "10th Anniversary exhibition", Galerie Ra, Amsterdam.
1985 "Crafts Council Collection" Crafts Council.
1985 St Hugh Head Shrine Canopy, Lincoln Cathedral (with Alan Evans).
1984 "Contemporary Jewellery", National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto and Tokyo.
1982 "The Maker's Eye", Crafts Council, London. "Towards a New Iron Age", Victoria and Albert Museum & USA.. "Making It", Crafts Council.
1980 Solo exhibition, British Craft Centre, London.
1975 "Jewellery in Europe", Scottish Arts Council and CAC (now Crafts Council) (& exhibition poster). Solo exhibition, Electrum Gallery, London. Solo exhibition, Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol.
Related activities have included:
*Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts *Advisor to the Technology Development Unit, University of Warwick *World Crafts Council, UK delegate * UK Crafts Council member *UK Crafts Council International Committee, chairman *Voluntary Service Overseas, selector *Various books & articles published
Countries worked in:
Australia, Bangladesh, England, France, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Tanzania, Uganda, UK, USA, Wales, Zaire/Congo, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
© DE I / DESILLUSIONIST #-1. “David Poston. Reincarnation of tins”
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