The Art of Looking Good- ‘Spectacles- The Oliver Goldsmith
Collection’ at the National Glass Centre
‘Spectacles’ charts
the history of the Oliver Goldsmith Company: three generations of eyewear
designers. The exhibition showcases some of their most striking designs and
models.
The tenuous link to glass isn’t played up here, Goldsmiths
isn’t particularly interested in the technology of seeing more the technology
of plastic. The key to their success is their ability to mould plastic into new
and exciting shapes for consumers. So, what relevance does this exhibition have
at the National Glass Centre?
Since re-opening it’s doors last year the National Glass
Centre promised a programme of contemporary exhibitions exploring the many
facets of glass. This exhibition is the third since then. First the abstract
work of Erwin Eisch then the searingly modern Jeffrey Sarmiento alongside
smaller exhibitions from research students and staff at the University of
Sunderland.
‘Spectacles’ is a
departure from these themes, other exhibitions have been keen to point out the
artistic validity of glass, here we are given a history lesson in design. This
is much more museum-like, text heavy, a video installation and almost
interactive displays of suspended glasses providing huge amounts of
information. The exhibition is laid out like a clock, working round the designs
chronologically. This allows the exhibition to display changes in taste
clearly, and also show how deeply ingrained and influential Goldsmith glasses
are in fashion.
The glasses themselves are microcosms of fashion from their
period. Austere 40s glasses remain owlish, 60’s wing-frames feel frivolous and
fun, 70’s wrap around cut-out glasses seem appropriately futuristic, the huge 80’s
colourful frames are gaudy and the 90’s slick frames are ho-hum. Michael Caine looms down in a pair of
Consul glasses in The Ipcress File.
Audrey Hepburn flutters her eyelashes in the huge white frames of Bude in How to Steal a Million. Goldsmith
glasses help create persona of either severity, playfulness or a hundred other
aspects that the self-expression of fashion allows one.
After royalty, celebrity and the film industry endorsed
Goldsmiths, glasses became fashionable. Sunglasses bourgeoned in popularity.
Reading glasses had less stigma attached, though as Freeman pointed out in her
acerbic treaty on fashion ‘The Meaning of Sunglasses’[1]
women remain wary of wearing glasses. But thanks to Goldsmiths, and other
similar designers, women have the choice of wearing flattering glasses that
don’t scream of academia or secretarial silliness.
The famous clientele have created an opportunity for the National
Glass Centre to market its show to an as yet untapped audience. People will
come to see photographs of beautiful people wearing beautiful glasses, but they
will garner some appreciation for the craft and skill involved in the design.
As craft practitioners we are all aware of the arguments
that abound between function and art. In Oliver Goldsmith Ltd we see the same
argument played out in fashion. Andrew Oliver Goldsmith’s aim is to create
‘face jewellery for women, face furniture for men’[2]
rather than something that helps their astigmatism. It’s impossible to argue
under such a heritage of innovation, design and popularity that he’s succeeded.
There’s no other medicinal aid that has crossed the line from purposeful to
beautiful as glasses have done, whether Goldsmiths, glass or plastic did this,
it’s still true.
Glasses are intimate and here we see real people wearing
their choice of glasses, see how they have dated, see how much thought and skill
has gone into them. A better illustration of how our opinions on glasses and
those who wear them is difficult to imagine.
It’s a bold move from the National Glass Centre to exhibit a
designer who uses glass but doesn’t care that much about it. Proof that their
gamble has worked is in how much glass lovers can take away from ‘Spectacles’,
including how vital our medium is in everyday life. The quality and longevity
of these designs is fascinating and surpasses the material differences we might
have.
Beyond that, ‘Spectacles’ tells us all that the National
Glass Centre isn’t afraid to show us different approaches to glass. There’s no
news about what the next exhibition will be, and frankly, there’s no guessing.
Spectacles- The Oliver Goldsmith Collection runs from
Saturday the 18th of January to Sunday the 4th of May
2014 at the National Glass Centre, Liberty Way, Sunderland, SR6 0GL. Get
involved on twitter by uploading a photograph of yourself wearing glasses and
using the hashtag #bespectacular
[1] Hadley
Freeman, The Meaning of Sunglasses: A
Guide to Almost All Things Fashionable, published by Penguin, 2008
[2] Andrew
Oliver Goldsmith’s opening remarks for the Spectacles exhibition.
No comments:
Post a Comment