An exhibition of work by photographer Shannon Tofts called ‘The Face of Craft: Portraying Scotland’s Makers’ has opened at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh.

The exhibition focuses on ten makers working in a range of materials including silver, glass, paper and stone.   A series of portraits capturing the makers in their working environments alongside close-up photographs of their hands is combined with examples of their work.

Shannon has had a lifelong interest in photographing the work of artists and makers and has undertaken commissions from makers across Scotland.  In this exhibition, for the first time, he has turned his camera onto the faces behind the work.

The ten makers photographed are sculptor and lettercutter Frances Pelly, jeweller Marianne Anderson, ceramicists Tony Franks and Sarah Jane Selwood, glass artist Keiko Mukaide, textile artist Deirdre Nelson, silversmiths Michael Lloyd and William Kirk, automata maker David Swift and bookbinder Faith Shannon, who is also currently exhibiting in the Dean Gallery.

The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between Shannon, who had the idea for the show, and IC: Innovative Craft, an organisation dedicated to developing a series of exhibitions in Scotland over the next three to five years.  Their aims are to demonstrate the value of craft within national and international culture, encourage new audiences for craft of the highest quality and celebrate achievement, excellence and innovation.

The exhibition is supported by the Scottish Arts Council, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and the Jerwood Charitable Foundation.

The Face of Craft: Portraying Scotland’s Makers is on at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Queen Street, Edinburgh from 28 July until 8 October 2006.  Opening hours daily 10am to 5pm. Thursdays until 7pm. Festival opening hours between 6 August and 3 September are 10am to 6pm. Thursdays until 7pm.  Admission free.

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