“Over the last two years I have become obsessed with The Apple”, declare the artist Barnaby Barford“. ” It is Adam & Eve, the Judgement of Paris, Heracles, it is The Beatles, Steve Jobs and Newton, it is Cézanne, Magritte, Snow White and William Tell, it is even the American Frontier! Working across drawing, sculpture, film, installation and painting I am using the apple as a lens to explore fundamental questions driving human nature, especially our anxiety afflicted society and our incessant need for More”.
1882 Ltd. collaborated with Barnaby Barford to create a series of fine bone china apples which took pride of place on The Apple Tree. The large-scale sculpture was the focal point of Barford’s exhibition ‘MORE MORE MORE’ which presented a culmination of the artist’s investigation into society’s incessant need for more and the detrimental effect it has on us as individuals, as a community, and on the planet. On display earlier this year at the David Gill Gallery, ‘MORE MORE MORE’ continued Barford’s exploration of the politics of happiness but with a new source of inspiration: the Apple – nature’s ancient, primary object onto which we have long projected our myriad fears and desires.
About 1882 Ltd
1882 Ltd. is a design-led ceramics brand produced in Stoke-on-Trent, England formed by fourth and fifth generations of the Johnson Brothers family.
At the core of 1882 Ltd. is progressive design and industrial craftsmanship. They produce a combination of essential objects and special pieces that highlight the centuries of industrial heritage craft skills and knowledge that reside in the heart of the British ceramics industry, Stoke-on-Trent.
Their ceramics are to be used, loved and desired and to bring enjoyment be it in dining and decorative objects to lighting and art pieces. Each collection has a different spirit but they always stay true to their core beliefs.
There is incredible human skill in everything they do and they focus on the process as well as the design. There are no less than 10 processes to make a mug, all of which require great human skill. While 1882 Ltd is keen to show the processes behind how something is made the company value the importance of good design and superlative quality that will last the test of time.
Discover more on the artist website.
Photo Credits: Barnaby Barford and 1882 Ltd.
Mari Balsamà Wilson 
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