Victoria & Albert Museum
Ceramics Galleries: Basic Making
The V&A’s ceramics collections are one of its greatest glories and unrivalled in the world. The galleries were purpose-built in 1909 and were refurbished and reconfigured by architects Stanton Williams in 2009. The display presents over 3,000 objects which tell the story of ceramics, from the earliest Chinese pottery to contemporary ceramic art.
We designed the gallery identity
and interpretation graphics, working closely with architects Stanton Williams and the V&A curatorial team.
Basic Making was central to our
work for the V&A Ceramics Galleries. Running the entire length of the Making Ceramics gallery, this unique piece of low-tech interactive furniture explains the process of making ceramics from digging the clay out
of the ground to firing and glazing.
Designed in collaboration with architects Stanton Williams, the display houses a sequence of information panels, flip-books and
lift-up lids in the form of a modular
tile system, while a series of drawers contain in-depth information and hands-on activities. The front of the unit is faced with richly-coloured vitreous enamel graphics – a production method chosen for both its durability and its similarity to glazed ceramic.
Basic Making is designed to appeal
to a family audience – engaging and educational without becoming over-simplistic.
ISTD International Typographic Awards 2011
Premier Award
V&A Ceramics Galleries
April 2010
Cartlidge Levene contributed to
Issue One of Australian design
magazine, Process Journal,
featuring work for the V&A's
newly refurbished Ceramics
Galleries.
Issue One of Australian design
magazine, Process Journal,
featuring work for the V&A's
newly refurbished Ceramics
Galleries.
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